Film Forum

U.S., 2012
Directed by Wes Anderson
Starring Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, Jason Schwartzman
Screenplay by Wes Anderson, Roman Coppola
Approx. 94 min. DCP.

“A girl and a boy, both 12, run off to a remote inlet on an island where most of the adults seem disappointed and more than a little sad. The girl and the boy are very serious — about love, their plans, books, life itself — and often act older than their age. She wears bright blue eyeliner; he puffs on a corncob pipe… [the two] head off on a journey that’s part quest, part romance, with a touch of film noir and a hint of the French New Wave. Along the way, there are dangers, both natural and human, and finally paradise, in a small, pretty cove they rename Moonrise Kingdom… they construct a world parallel to the larger one, carving out an intensely individual space and defining themselves through their shared visions and actions, which means that the movie is also very much about creation as an act of self-creation… Written by Mr. Anderson and Roman Coppola (they worked together several times before), MOONRISE KINGDOM breezes along with a beautifully coordinated admixture of droll humor, deadpan and slapstick.” – Manohla Dargis, The New York Times

Reviews

“There's no denying the extravagant pleasures MOONRISE KINGDOM affords as an erudite wish-fulfillment fantasy of empowerment and autonomy.”
– The Washington Post