Rating: 4/4
Moonrise Kingdom
The Story is that in September 1965, on a New England Island called New Penzance, a little 12 year old boy named Sam Shakusky (played by Child Actor Jared Gilman) is at a Summer Camp called "Camp Ivanhoe" which is led by Scout master Randy Ward (Norton). A little 12 year old girl named Suzy Bishop (played by Child Actress Kara Hayward) lives on the Island with her Parents Walt Bishop (Murray) and Laura Bishop (McDormand) who are both attorneys and her three little Brothers. Sam and Suzy are both pen-pals who had met each other in the summer of 1964 during a Church performance. After they had both fallen in love with each other they both decide to reunite and run away together. The Story for this Film may not be Original or feel fresh but when you start to watch the Film you really start to fall in love with it. you fall in love with the characters, you fall in love with the Story, and you just strait up fall in love with what the Film is all together. The two Child Actors, Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward, are both fantastic and share great chemistry with each other as there characters, Sam and Suzy. Every one else was also fantastic and had a lot of fun with there characters as well. The Screenplay of this Film is probably the crowning achievement of this Film because the Script never goes for any schmaltzy clichés or any predictable moments or situations it throws surprises and unexpected twits and turns at us. The Screenplay was Written by Wes Anderson, who was also the Film's Director which I will talk about after, and Roman Coppola. Roman Coppola, who, as we all know, is the son of legendary Filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola ("The Godfather trilogy", "Apocalypse Now", "Patton", "The Conversation") and the brother of Filmmaker Sofia Coppola ("The Virgin Suicides", "Lost in translation" (which also starred Bill Murray). Roman probably deserves a little more credit for his work in the Film then the others because, like I already said, he writes one of the most smartest most funniest scripts ever to be in a drama-like Film (in 2012 of course). Know some people may not get the humor in this Film because unlike it being over the top and goofy the humor here is artsy, a bit bizarre at times, and very quiet. What I mean by that is that you may laugh while watching this but it won't be like a crying laughing-like moment like you would do in "The Hangover" or in "Borat" it will be a calm steady laugh that you would have in "Sideways" or "Adaptation". The humor in this Film may also be a bit bizarre to some because the way that Wes Anderson Directs the Film is probably like nothing you have ever seen before in any Film in 2012 or 2011. Anderson directs it with a lot of Jump cuts, close ups, smash cuts, NEVER moves or boggles the camera on moments that involve talking or drama, puts the Camera as far a way from the actors as possible during some crucial and intense moments of the Film, and almost everything in the Film is very bright and pale-ish colorful. The Soundtrack of this Film was another thing that the Film succeeds in because it isn't a bunch of rap or hip hop music in it, no, what it is, actually, is it's quiet (mostly) wordless Orchestra like music by a Composer named Benjamin Britten, who is known for his works with young Children's voices. There is A LOT of that in this Film. So to wrap-it up Great Acting, Great soundtrack, OUTSTANDING Writing and an overall Great Film all together. so check it out.
Moonrise Kingdom
The Story is that in September 1965, on a New England Island called New Penzance, a little 12 year old boy named Sam Shakusky (played by Child Actor Jared Gilman) is at a Summer Camp called "Camp Ivanhoe" which is led by Scout master Randy Ward (Norton). A little 12 year old girl named Suzy Bishop (played by Child Actress Kara Hayward) lives on the Island with her Parents Walt Bishop (Murray) and Laura Bishop (McDormand) who are both attorneys and her three little Brothers. Sam and Suzy are both pen-pals who had met each other in the summer of 1964 during a Church performance. After they had both fallen in love with each other they both decide to reunite and run away together. The Story for this Film may not be Original or feel fresh but when you start to watch the Film you really start to fall in love with it. you fall in love with the characters, you fall in love with the Story, and you just strait up fall in love with what the Film is all together. The two Child Actors, Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward, are both fantastic and share great chemistry with each other as there characters, Sam and Suzy. Every one else was also fantastic and had a lot of fun with there characters as well. The Screenplay of this Film is probably the crowning achievement of this Film because the Script never goes for any schmaltzy clichés or any predictable moments or situations it throws surprises and unexpected twits and turns at us. The Screenplay was Written by Wes Anderson, who was also the Film's Director which I will talk about after, and Roman Coppola. Roman Coppola, who, as we all know, is the son of legendary Filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola ("The Godfather trilogy", "Apocalypse Now", "Patton", "The Conversation") and the brother of Filmmaker Sofia Coppola ("The Virgin Suicides", "Lost in translation" (which also starred Bill Murray). Roman probably deserves a little more credit for his work in the Film then the others because, like I already said, he writes one of the most smartest most funniest scripts ever to be in a drama-like Film (in 2012 of course). Know some people may not get the humor in this Film because unlike it being over the top and goofy the humor here is artsy, a bit bizarre at times, and very quiet. What I mean by that is that you may laugh while watching this but it won't be like a crying laughing-like moment like you would do in "The Hangover" or in "Borat" it will be a calm steady laugh that you would have in "Sideways" or "Adaptation". The humor in this Film may also be a bit bizarre to some because the way that Wes Anderson Directs the Film is probably like nothing you have ever seen before in any Film in 2012 or 2011. Anderson directs it with a lot of Jump cuts, close ups, smash cuts, NEVER moves or boggles the camera on moments that involve talking or drama, puts the Camera as far a way from the actors as possible during some crucial and intense moments of the Film, and almost everything in the Film is very bright and pale-ish colorful. The Soundtrack of this Film was another thing that the Film succeeds in because it isn't a bunch of rap or hip hop music in it, no, what it is, actually, is it's quiet (mostly) wordless Orchestra like music by a Composer named Benjamin Britten, who is known for his works with young Children's voices. There is A LOT of that in this Film. So to wrap-it up Great Acting, Great soundtrack, OUTSTANDING Writing and an overall Great Film all together. so check it out.