Wes Anderson is one of those writers and directors that I am truly envious of. It is beyond me how he is able to come up with such surreal and eccentric ideas that spawn such films as Bottle Rocket (1996), Rushmore (1998), The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004), The Darjeeling Limited (2007), and Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009). Many of these I am especially fond of, as I am usually drawn to wildly unusual scripts with unpredictable and unique characters. Anderson’s characters, which he creates with co-writers like Owen Wilson, Roman Coppola, and Noah Baumbach, are some of my favorites from any film I have watched. Margot Tenenbaum, for example is one of his most brilliant characters. She is a mysterious and quiet woman with a knack for keeping secrets. Margot locks herself in the bathroom all day, unaware that her non-blood-related brother is in love with her. Margot wears fur coats and secretly smokes, which she started doing at age twelve. I see her as a great accomplishment on Anderson’s part.
While I have never been a fan of many animated films, Fantastic Mr. Fox was immensely enjoyable, with an especially witty script and the voice of George Clooney. The characters in Anderson’s films have both big and small problems. Many times his films deal with the subjects of addiction and adultery, but the audience, oddly enough, is rarely left without a smile on their face. Anderson is all about quality rather than quantity, much like Quentin Tarantino, and he hasn’t made a large amount of films. The movies he has made, however, have a very loyal cult following.
And now there is Moonrise Kingdom. The film revolves around Sam and Suzy, a young boy and girl who fall in love on an island off the coast of New England. They decide to run away together, writing letters back and forth as they make their plans. The events of the film takeplace in the 1960s, yet another reason why I am thrilled and excited for the film. In wake of the young couple’s departure, their town mobilizes together to track them down. The goose chase turns the town upside-down, while bringing people together.
From the looks of the trailer, this film seems to have everything Wes Anderson films typically have, except for the Wilson brothers that is. But with Edward Norton added to the equation, it is not an issue to dwell on for too long if you are an Anderson fan. Norton is a favorite of mine, thanks to his impressive performances in films like Fight Club, American X, and Down in the Valley. It occurred to me that his role may have actually been written for Owen Wilson. Consistent Anderson film star Jason Schwartzman returns once again, and he can do no wrong in my eyes, even after I watched the extremely underwhelming Funny People. He was truly the best part of the film with his role as an actor on the faux sitcom Yo Teach! Schwartzman tends to lend charm to everything he does. This makes it even more unfortunate that the ill fated but fantastic Bored to Death was cancelled. Also featured in Moonrise Kingdom is Fargo and Almost Famous star Frances McDormand, The Piano and Pulp Fiction star Harvey Keitel, action star Bruce Willis, Anderson film veteran Bill Murray, and Oscar winner Tilda Swinton. Many of the these actors frequent Coen Brothers’ films as well, making it even more interesting to see these actors continually working together on different projects. I can’t even begin to express how brilliant this cast is. Unfortunately I may be building up high expectations at an alarming rate, but if anyone can meet these, it’s Wes Anderson.
I am already obsessed with the character of Suzy. She seems mysterious and elegant, much like Margot Tenenbaum. I love her collared and short bright dresses and her eye makeup (How Margot of her). She’s a little lady with obvious poise as she blows kisses from her window and kisses Sam’s hand. They may just be one of my favorite couples. I’ll let you know after I finally watch the film. The tentative release date as of today is May 25th 2012.
Every thing about the trailer is beautiful, with the vibrant colors that are typical of Anderson’s films, Suzy’s stationary paper, bird (including owl) costumes, picnics, and a tree house. That tree house! What about you? Are you excited for the next Wes Anderson film Moonrise Kingdom?
