Moonrise
Kingdom (12A)
Directed by Wes Anderson
From 25th May 2012
Reviewed by
This movie, directed by cult Hollywood figure, Wes Anderson, resembles
a film version of a very long cartoon strip - each frame imbued with rich
colours and precisely set compositions.
It works generally well but after a while the format tends to become
repetitive.
Set in 1965 - a year of major changes in the world - the centrepiece
of the film is the romance between two oddball 12-year-olds from dysfunctional
family backgrounds.
Sam (Jarad Gilman), an accomplished boy scout - who annoyingly persistently
wears a Davy Crockett-type hat - absconds from his scout camp to team
up with the precocious Suzy (Kara Hayward).
This event causes wide-ranging dismay among a group of characters played
by a range of A-listed actors, including Bruce Willis, a dimwitted but
kindly Sheriff; Bill Murray, the hapless dad of Suzy; Edward Norton, playing
the unlikely role of a Scoutmaster; and Tilda Swinton, in a cameo part
of a callous social worker.
Moonrise Kingdom is quirky, pleasant enough to watch, but ultimately
style wins out over substance.
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