life with more cowbell

Finally got out to see Moonrise Kingdom yesterday – and I have to say, they had me when I saw the trailer and I was not disappointed. Check it out:

Written by Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola, and directed by Anderson, Moonrise Kingdom is one magical, romantic and adventurous ride. Full of quirky, poignant characters and set in 1964 in a small New England island community, the movie takes you on a nostalgic mayhem-filled fairytale journey with Sam and Suzy, 12-year-old misfit heroes in love played by remarkable young actors Jared Gilman (who reminds me a bit of a young Jason Schwartzman) and Kara Hayward (a young Kristen Stewart).

The cinematography is visually stunning, with every shot a gorgeous picture. Much of the film takes place outdoors in the woods and by the lake, but the opening scenes of domestic life in the Bishop household (Suzy’s house) are particularly magical as we pass by – or even up and down – the various rooms and occupants, who are engaged in day-to-day activities. The ordinary made extraordinary. Added bonus for me: Suzy’s kitten looks like Camille would have at that age.

Anderson has assembled an outstanding cast for this one, including: Edward Norton (Scout Master Ward), Bill Murray (Walt Bishop), Frances McDormand (Laura Bishop), Bruce Willis (police Captain Sharp), Bob Balaban (Narrator), Tilda Swinton (Social Services), Jason Schwartzman (Cousin Ben) and Harvey Keitel (Scout Commander Pierce) – and the cast of supporting kids is excellent.

Also loved the soundtrack to this film, including Benjamin Britten’s rousing Variations on a Theme of Purcell and the spritely Playful Pizzicato, Simple Symphony,  Op.4, Hank Williams’ Kaw-Liga and Françoise Hardy’s Le Temps De L’Amour. Need to get my hands on that for sure.

So. Much. Fun. Seriously. Go see this movie. I’d also recommend seeing it again.

Here’s the IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1748122/

And, now, I’ll leave you with this making of vid: