Film Review: Moonrise Kingdom

Moonrise Kingdom directed by Wes Anderson; written by Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola (Focus Features, Indian Paintbrush, American Empirical Pictures, Moonrise, PG-13, 94 minutes)

Starring Kara Hayward, Jared Gilman, Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, and Jason Schwartzman.

The Pains of Growing Up

Did you ever try and run away as a kid? It might have been to the end of the street, to a friend’s house, or maybe even farther. Why did you do it? Oppressive parents? An untenable friendship? A bad test at school? Often irrational, this escape can sometimes result from not wanting to grow up. When a child shoulders more responsibility, sometimes it seems easier to flee hoping to return to the days where playtime occurred 24/7.

Along these lines arises Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom.

Run-Aways 

In 1965 on a diminutive island in New England, Sam Shakusky (Jared Gilman) and Suzy Bishop (Kara Hayward) run away together.

An orphan attending Khaki Scout summer camp, Sam escapes the campground after leaving a letter of resignation with Scout Master Ward (Edward Norton). Sam is an outcast and the rest of the troop shudders at the thought of searching for him.

Suzy met Sam a summer before when she acted in a church performance of Noye’s Fludde. Having been pen pals since that day, the two plan withdrawal together. Suzy flees because she cares little for her dysfunctional parents, Walt (Bill Murray) and Laura (Frances McDormand).

With both young teenagers missing, Scout Master Ward, Walt, and Laura partner with local Island police officer, Captain Sharp (Bruce Willis) to commence a search.

A Desperate Search Party 

While Suzy and Sam traverse the island in pursuit of refuge, the search party learns harrowing news: Sam’s foster parents want nothing to do with him. With an orphaned and un-guardianed child on the loose, the search party notifies Social Services (Tilda Swinton). Given Sam’s flight risk, Social Services announces intentions of subjecting Sam to electro-shock therapy.



Moreover, a hurricane approaches this sleepy isle.

With such grim news, the search party not only needs to find the run-aways before the storm surges, but they also need to ascertain a guardian promptly to keep Sam out of the mental ward.

An Ochre Hue 

Moonrise Kingdom holds all the signature styles of a Wes Anderson movie. For starters, an ochre hue emanates throughout the film. Aesthetically, the palette screams summer and warmth.

Additionally, Anderson’s sharp, witty, and ironic dialogue shines. Bill Murray holds some excellent lines, including a deadpanned scene where he intones his intentions to cut down a tree.

Even more, Wes Anderson continues to depict humor through ironic subtlety. During one scene where Scout Master Ward’s Khaki Scouts are hiding behind a fence, a stranger walks behind them wearing a Native American headdress. The audience, then, finds humor in the juxtaposition. We are under the impression that the Scouts are hidden, yet a meandering stranger breaks the wall of belief around this task of espionage.

Setting aside Wes Anderson’s brand stylings, Moonrise Kingdom explores the motif of growing up. In particular, Khaki Scout summer camp is a regimented boot camp—much more adult than a child should experience.

To a certain extent, Sam and Suzy escape to remain children. Throughout the narrative, Wes Anderson masterfully weaves the tension between growing up and remaining a child.

If you are a fan of Wes Anderson or quirky feel-good movies, go see Moonrise Kingdom.

Verdict: 4.5 out of 5

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Posted by: Donovan Richards

Film Review: Visioneers

Visioneers directed by Jared Drake (Fireside Film and Mayfly Films, R, 94 minutes)

Starring Zach Galifianakis, Judy Greer, and Mía Maestro.

Absurdity

Since the birth of existentialism, absurdity has worked as a delightful comedic medium. In low brow settings, Monty Python (let’s not fool ourselves, the troupe is brilliant despite their silly sketches) explores absurdity when is depicts a couple of safari men performing the fish slapping dance. On the other side of the spectrum, Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot is a play that portrays two men with minute attention spans waiting for God.

In both instances, the writer finds comedy in the absurdities of life. When considered deeply, life contains many strange and downright silly aspects. In a similar vein, Jared Drake’s Visioneers explores the absurdity of the modern lifestyle.

The Jeffers Corporation and Stress Explosions

Set in the near future, Visioneers follows the life of George Washington Winsterhammerman (Zach Galifianakis), a descendent of George Washington and a Level Three employee at the Jeffers Corporation. Led by Mr. Jeffers, the Jeffers Corporation is the largest business in the history of humanity and it effectively controls the United States.

Ever the company man, George manages a small staff to the peak of efficiency in Tayloresque fashion. One day, however, this mundane existence takes a turn for the worse when George learns that one of his employees literally exploded on his way to work. Later that evening, the news ticker announces that hundreds of thousands of Americans suffered from the same fate.

Word trickles out that these explosion victims all carried symptoms of dreams, unhappiness, overeating, and impotence. Realizing that he possesses these indicators, George worries that he might explode as well. Searching for answers to this explosion problem, the Jeffers Corporation develops a depression inhibitor that guarantees the happiness of society. With the president in the corporation’s pocket, the company requires U.S. citizens to wear the device for their own safety.

Chaos and the Middle Finger

Throughout the movie, George seeks answers to his existential problems. With clear references to Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, Visioneers explores the absurdity of modern life and the pursuit of happiness.

The best scenes of the movie occur in the office, where company policy and culture are ridiculously enacted. Hilariously, to politely greet someone, one must give them the middle finger. Also, society pronounces chaos as “chay-oss”. When one of George’s employees arrives at work, he gives George the middle finger greeting and then puts a gun to his head Russian-roulette-style – as ordered by his therapist – to ensure that he is still alive.

While the office sequences brilliantly portray absurdity, the main plot line is simply pedestrian. With George searching for meaning, he questions his safe and boring life pursuing opportunities that provide danger and intrigue.

Despite its flaws, Visioneers is entertaining and darkly comedic. Although it is nowhere near the quality of Waiting for Godot, I appreciated the movie’s homage to Beckett’s classic work. Zach Galifianakis performs admirably in his role and his acting supports the film in the places where the writing falls flat. All in all, I recommend Visioneers for those interested in the comedy of the absurd.

Verdict: 3.5 out of 5

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Donovan Richards is a University of Washington undergraduate alumnus from 2008, graduating with a BA in Philosophy. He is also a graduate of the inaugural Seattle Pacific University School of Theology graduate program class of 2009 as an MA student in Business and Theology. He is a huge fan of music, books, and movies. You can reach him via email at lemurfarmer@gmail.com.