REVIEW: MOONRISE KINGDOM

3/5

All-Star, All-Heart

Starring: Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, Jason Schwartzman, Bob Balaban & Harvey Kietel. Director: Wes Anderson. Screenplay: Wes Anderson & Roman Coppola

If you know director Wes Anderson's work ('The Fantastic Mr. Fox', 'The Darjeeling Limited', 'The Royal Tenenbaums ') you'll know what to expect...sort of. The quintessential quirky and perfectly peculiar director has the talented techniques and the versatile vision of a modern day genius. He has the ability of turning a sweet tale into a mainstream success and that's what he does with his latest; 'Moonrise Kingdom'. A film that looks to enlighten and rise to the throne of alternative Hollywood pictures.

Bruce Willis, Bill Murray, Edward Norton, Harvey Kietel and Tilda Swinton seem to agree as the greats all lend their incredible talents to this piece all playing different sort of roles than they normally do. Even Willis who plays a different cop character then he's used to. The wife-beating vest and gun are left at home and replaced with thick glasses and a receding comb-over. Still with all the performance power of the major players the real stars of this show are Jared Gilman, Kara Hayward. They play two Romeo and Juliet star-crossed lovers-albeit shy of their teens-who runaway from home and set up camp (thanks to our Romeo's scouting experience) almost going all 'Lord Of The Flies' on us.

With two standout scene stealing performances these kids are more than alright, they're the new indie darlings and actors of the future. One looking older than her years, the other acting beyond his age-sakes maturity. Whoever scouted these young actors deserves another badge sewn on. Thanks to great roles from Jason Schwartzman (an Anderson veteran), Swinton and Kietel, an on form and range-full Norton, an always deadpan and delightful Murray and a wonderful warm, heart-filled delivery from Willis this movie truly is something strangely special.

Still it's the offbeat on-heart direction from Anderson that strikes the biggest chord on the heart strings. From the old-fashioned and traditional credits first opening, to every way every scene and emotion is filmed this is formidable in all its favorable and fancy, talented techniques. This pictures Sixties style to the stripped-down way its shot make it more than just a pristine period piece. It's a real, visionary revisit. Bringing the sort of great heart and humor filled moments that other films just don't, Anderson has done it again. He's crafted another artistic story for the celluloid that furthers the ideas and work of what is classic Wes...and that's something that's weirdly wonderful. TIM DAVID HARVEY.