"It's an adventure, a love story, a biblical allegory complete with approaching storm, a mash note to composer Benjamin Britten and a profoundly touching discourse on the needs of troubled children (...) Anderson's screenplay, co-written with Roman Coppola, is orchestrated as meticulously as the myriad Britten works excerpted on the soundtrack (...) Those might be woodwinds we hear, or they might be the deft phrasing of fine supporting turns by Bill Murray and Frances McDormand as Suzy's muddled parents (...) The formality of "Moonrise Kingdom" - the orderly structure and dreamlike perfection of it all - is as poetic as any film I've seen this year."
by Amy Biancolli in San Francisco Chronicle
"Moonrise Kingdom has other lines that good, enough to make me wish that Anderson hadn’t reverted so aggressively to form (i.e., formalism) after moving the other way in The Darjeeling Limited. The movie is a showcase for cinematographer Robert Yeoman, production designer Adam Stockhausen, costume designer Kasia Walicka Maimone, and the tag-team composers Britten and Alexandre Desplat."
by David Edelstein in New York Magazine
"In this tale about growing up and falling in love, it seems Anderson has found his true heart (...) The dialogue is exceedingly crisp, often delivered in short bursts. It works especially well when the grown-ups are sorting out what to do with the youngsters at the various crises points along the way — difficult, life-changing decisions in the offing. That spareness gives "Moonrise" an appealing briskness and pragmatism too that helps keep the many complicating factors from weighing things down. It is just one of the many ways in which Anderson keeps the film's emotions in check, ensuring this very heartfelt film never gets anywhere near mush."
by Betsy Sharkey in Los Angeles Times
"To my mind, Anderson is oxygen in a Hollywood choking from chasing its own greed-driven tail. Moonrise Kingdom shows a director growing in confidence and maturity. Take the remarkable scene, set on a daylight beach, in which Sam and Suzy first kiss – using tongues and groping awkwardly (...) Murray and McDormand excel at showing a faltering marriage in microcosm (...) Shot with a poet's eye by Robert Yeoman and lifted by an Alexandre Desplat score that samples Mozart, Hank Williams and Benjamin Britten, the hilarious and heartfelt Moonrise Kingdom is a consistent pleasure. By evoking the joys and terrors of childhood, it reminds us how to be alive."
by Peter Travers in Rolling Stone
OSCAR POTENTIAL CATEGORIES:
- Best Picture
- Best Director (Wes Anderson)
- Best Supporting Actor (Bill Murray)
- Best Supporting Actress (Frances McDormand)
- Best Original Screenplay
- Best Cinematography
- Best Production Design
- Best Costume Design
- Best Original Score
BUT...
Anderson's first masterpiece, The Royal Tenebaums, only received a Best Original Screenplay nomination and it was snubed in the other categories in spite of all the praise and the movie's quality. Maybe the AMPAS just doesn't like Wes Anderson, but we can't forget that his animated The Fantastic Mr. Fox got a Best Animated Feature Oscar nomination!
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