This is my second Wes Anderson movie, the first being ‘Fantastic Mr. Fox’. While watching this, I noticed a lot of similarities between the style of the two films, and how Wes Anderson’s films are like picture books that move. And that is what makes ‘Moonrise Kingdom’ work.

The story is about 12 year olds Sam and Suzy, who decide one day to run away and live in the woods together. Search parties form to find them, but Romeo & Juliet Jr. are one step ahead of the game.

At one point in the film, Sam tells Suzy “It’s like poetry. Poems don’t always have to rhyme, as long as you’re creative.” That is the perfect way to describe ‘Moonrise Kingdom’. Anderson seems to have every shot planned out in his head, because every angle is perfection. The cast is all brilliant, especially Bruce Willis and Bill Murray. The two child leads are a little wooden, but you love them anyway, and that’s because of the wonderful screenplay that blurs the line between reality and a child’s imagination.

The only flaw in the film is this one scene (I don’t think I’m spoiling anything if you saw the trailer,) where a character is struck by lightning and ends up okay. This scene doesn’t have anything to do with the plot, so what’s the purpose? But maybe that’s the beauty of it. That this world is real one minute and imaginary the next. It’s like a children’s storybook, and anyone who has memories of their childhood should see this film and have them fully realized.

*****

By the way, look at the Life of Pi trailer! It’s gonna be this year’s Hugo!