Moonrise Kingdom (12A)

Directed by Wes Anderson
FACT Picturehouse
From 25th May 2012

Reviewed by Colin Serjent

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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