Review: Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

When I watched The Grand Budapest Hotel last year, I had to admit it was the first Wes Anderson movie I’d seen. I remember a good few of our blogging buddies recommending Moonrise Kingdom to me, and I’m just sorry it’s taken me quite this long to give it a go! After exposing myself to more action moves than I could handle, I was ready for something quieter, and this was the perfect choice.

Moonrise Kingdom (2012) is a beautiful story of young love. Sam (Jared Gilman) is a member of the Khaki Scouts, extremely skilled but liked by no one. He lost both of his parents and currently lives with foster parents, who he has difficulty with. Suzy (Cara Hayward) is a troubled young girl whose parents don’t know how to deal with her. Together, they decide to run away, which sparks a huge search party to look for them.

I now understand the skill that others have in spotting Wes Anderson’s work so quickly. The colourful characters, camera shots, fancy title opening, even the colour yellow, after watching just two of his movies these things are already standing out to me. It’s really quite fascinating. That said, I loved The Grand Budapest so much that I had really high hopes for Moonrise Kingdom, and I wasn’t let down.

We can all sympathise with Sam and Suzy. When you’re 12 years old, it’s easy to fall in love with someone, and feel like the whole world is against you. In fact, he won’t thank me for this, but when one of my brothers was younger than Sam, he proposed to his girlfriend on the school playground, and they vowed to get married when they were old enough. It didn’t happen, but they remained very good friends!

Moonrise Kingdom had a great mix of a being a heartwarming, relatable story, but with just enough exaggeration to make it exciting, like Scout Master Ward (Edward Norton) leaping an impossible distance, and Sam surviving being struck by lightning. It’s like how we all tell our own stories, making certain moments more heroic or dramatic to make them more interesting.

The star studded cast just added another element to the movie. Captain Sharp (Bruce Willis) is a compassionate man who just wants the best for Sam, despite barely knowing him. Scout Master Ward (Edward Norton) provides most of the comedy as the bumbling leader who can’t control his scouts. Mr Bishop (Bill Murray) is the classic grumpy Dad who argues with authority. Mrs Bishop (Frances McDormand) is the perfect worrying, struggling mother, and last but not least, the Social Services lady (Tilda Swinton) is cold and heartless. Just a great cast all round!

I’m so glad I finally watched Moonrise Kingdom, and now I’m on the lookout for my next Wes Anderson movie. Can anyone recommend one for me?

Mini Reviews: She's Funny That Way (2014), The Overnight (2015) & Hot Tub Time Machine 2 (2015)

She’s Funny That Way (2014) is a crazy little comedy made from the same DNA as Love Actually and similar movies, where multiple stories all come together. Owen Wilson is a director who enjoys giving large amounts of cash to call girls, including Imogen Poots, who just so happens to be auditioning for the lead in his latest play. Every other main character in the movie is connected to one another, but I won’t spoil it for you because to be honest, that was one of the only things that kept me entertained. A decent movie nonetheless, but it just feels forgettable. I wasn’t sure whether the audience is meant to be on side with Owen Wilson or not, but he was a bit of a douchebag in my opinion.

What even is this movie?! I can’t tell if it’s a really low brow comedy or an indie dramedy! It’s a movie about a married couple (Adam Scott and Taylor Schilling) who are having intimate issues, and have just moved to a new city. They meet another couple at the park one day (Jason Schwartzman and Judith Godrèche) who invite them over for a pizza night. Things get very awkward very fast, when we learn that this couple paint buttholes and make breast pump videos. I’m not even kidding!

I felt awkward from start to finish, but it was still strangely enjoyable and funny. Not one to see in front of your family, friends, or anyone really. Watch this alone, or drunk!

Why did I put myself through this? I wasn’t overly fond of the first movie, but Hot Tub Time Machine 2 (2015) was pretty terrible. For the record, I love the idea, and there were a few jokes that were funny. Basically, Lou (Rob Corddry) gets shot and so the group have to go back in time to find his killer. Only they end up in the future instead. There’s a big debate about the theory of time travel, and many gross sex jokes that are just plain awkward. Not even Adam Scott in a skirt(?!) could save this for me.  (Is anyone starting to see a trend in Allie's recent reviews?! Like they all happen to have one particular person in them?! Shuuuush don't draw attention to it!) The nerd song made me laugh though, and the credits scenes are actually the best parts.