In 7 words or less: Wes Anderson's back! With Bill 'f**kin' Murray!
What's it all About? In 1960's New England, an orphaned boy-scout and an unhappy local girl make a plan to run away together, prompting a man-hunt by the island policeman (Bruce Willis), her parents (Bill Murray and Frances McDormand), the scout master (Ed Norton) and the rest of the scout troop. Meanwhile a great storm is brewing...
Best bits? Ed Norton is fantastic as scout-master Ward and is only trumped by Jason Schwartzman's appearance in a bizarre scene where he marries the two characters in the camp chapel (admitting that the marriage will not be recognised legally anywhere). The two kids are excellent and the whole film has a 60's look with grainy yellowing film. I don't think that Wes Anderson movies would be at all the same without his regular director of photography Robert Yeoman, and of his regular co-writer Roman Coppola. Bill Murray takes a back seat on this one but is still awesome, hilarious and cool in a way only he can be.
Everything that's great about Anderson's films is here; the beautiful and creatively composed shots and camera movements (the first scene is excellent and typical of the director, featuring a whole cross section of the house being revealed as the camera moves around the action in a gracefully choreographed take, a signature style that's seen in many of his movies now). The attention to detail in the exquisite production design is just staggering and is a reason that I can always watch his movies over and over. Along with the unique humour and human drama that elevates it beyond simple amusement or schtick.
Did it make you think thoughts? It made me think how special this director is, as I almost take his style of film-making for granted before checking myself and looking again at the sheer quality and individuality of his work. This film is not up there with my favourites yet but it's certainly a marvellous addition to the portfolio.
I guess the message of the movie comes across best when we see the incredibly dysfunctional, complicated and unhappy adult characters pulling the kids apart as they ask 'we just want to be together - what's wrong with that?'. There is also a scene where Bruce Willis admits that the boy is more intelligent than him but it doesn't matter because he's only 12. It's a celebration of innocence and is about the perspective and naive insight that is lost through the complications that adult life brings.
Would you watch it again? I already want to watch it again, and yes I will be watching this many more times I am sure.
Rating (out of 100%): 83% There's nothing incredibly new here but I can imagine if you had not seen a Wes Anderson film before you would be blown away. I was very happy with it.
