Frances McDormand

‘Moonrise Kingdom’ – One of My Favorite Wes Anderson Films

Posted on by The Ultimate Rabbit

“Moonrise Kingdom” is one of many examples which shows Wes Anderson to be one of the most imaginative filmmakers working today. With his story of two 12-year-old kids falling in love and running away together, he gives us a whimsical journey into a past filled with innocence that constantly gets upended by bouts of family dysfunction. In a time where Hollywood relies too much on old ideas and endless remakes, seeing Anderson get an original movie like this made feels like a miracle.

“Moonrise Kingdom” takes place on the New England island of New Penzance in the year 1965. Sam Shakusky (Jared Gilman) has encouraged his pen pal of one year, Suzy Bishop (Kara Hayward), to run away with him into the island’s wilderness. Doing this, however, sends their parents and the town into a frenzy as they desperately search to find them before all hell breaks loose.

Sam himself is an orphan whose foster parents no longer want him around, and his running off with Suzy coincides with his resigning as a member of the Khaki Scout summer camp which is led by Scout Master Randy Ward (Edward Norton). While Sam has learned many useful skills, he is despised by all the other members he is forced to spend time with. In Suzy, he finds a much-needed soul mate who herself is ostracized from her schoolmates and is not blind to the marital difficulties her attorney parents, Walt (Bill Murray) and Laura (Frances McDormand), are going through. Suzy is even aware of her mother having an affair with the island’s police Captain, Duffy Sharp (Bruce Willis).

But it turns out that these two kids have done the island of New Penzance a huge favor as their romantic getaway wakes up its inhabitants from the sullen slumber their lives have descended into. This is especially the case with Walt and Laura who appear to be bereft of emotions for one another. It gets to where Laura can barely communicate with Walt without using a bullhorn to get his and their kids’ attention. When Walt finds out his daughter has run away, he responds to Laura by informing him of this situation as a “loaded question” more than anything else.

The sullenness of the adults is contrasted sharply with the sheer innocence of Sam and Suzy as we watch their romance bloom. Their adventurous behavior proves to be contagious as they read through storybooks Suzy stole from the local library, and dance to vinyl records of lively French rock music. The specific details Anderson gives these characters make them among the most unique kids I have ever seen at the movies. With their taste in art, literature and music, they threaten to seem more mature than their parents to an infinite degree.

It is this theme of innocence which permeates “Moonrise Kingdom” throughout as Sam and Suzy deal with what is left of their innocence while others desperately try to recapture it for themselves. Randy Ward is an example of a man trying to stay young by embracing his role as a scout leader to where he takes it a little too seriously. To him, this role gives his life more meaning than any day job ever could, but the kids under his command do not all see it in the same way he does.

Then there’s Willis’ character of Captain Sharp who, like Sam and Suzy, feels like a loner on this small island. In this role, Willis almost threatens to outdo Murray’s sullen expression as his face becomes a mask of inescapable sadness. It is through searching for these kids that his life finds new meaning as they make him feel young again and give him a reason to live a life with more purpose.

Having read all this, one might think “Moonrise Kingdom” is some sort of serious drama, but it’s really a wondrous coming of age movie with a lot of gleefully inspired comedic moments. Anderson has always populated his movies with sad characters, and yet he still finds ways for the audience to laugh with them during their endless struggles. While this film has him once again dealing with his favorite themes of family dysfunction and arrested development, he finds a wonderful slant which ends up making it one of his best efforts.

One of Anderson’s other successes here is in making a period piece that is not a prisoner to its period. While its eclectic soundtrack (a must buy by the way) gets the music of 1965 down perfectly, this movie takes place in a world which does not completely mesh with reality. As a result, “Moonrise Kingdom” almost feels like it could be taking place at any period of time. Perhaps that can be the result of us remembering the first time we ever fell in love like Sam Suzy do.

Like the best Wes Anderson movies, there is not a single weak performance to be found here, and the actors inhabit their characters to the best of their abilities. Murray, a veteran of several Anderson movies, still strikes comedic gold even as his characters he portrays seem to get sadder and sadder. McDormand is highly entertaining to watch as always, and that is regardless of whether or not her character needs a bullhorn to be heard.

Among the newbies to the Anderson cinematic universe, Bruce Willis proves to be a surprising and welcome addition as the lonely police captain. His face can speak a thousand words even when he does not speak, and he looks to be having a blast in the kind of movie one we often do not expect to see him in.

Norton was another newbie to Anderson’s movies when “Moonrise Kingdom” was made and released, and it is nice to see him let loose in a way he was not always able to back in the day. His role of the hapless scout master Randy Ward allows him to create a character who could have easily just been someone to laugh at with endless disdain. Never does he play Randy for laughs like others would have, and that makes his performance all the stronger for it.

As for the actors inhabiting Sam and Suzy, Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward do a fantastic job of capturing their characters’ individual sensibilities and unique aspects. Thanks to their performances, they make these pre-teens seem very human and not your typical kids searching for meaning in a formulaic motion picture.

In addition, you get excellent performances from Jason Schwartzman as Cousin Ben, and another from Khaki Scout who aids the two runaways in their quest to be together. Even Harvey Keitel shows up in a delightfully unexpected way as Commander Pierce, the king of all Khaki Scouts.

Beautifully shot and wonderfully written, “Moonrise Kingdom” stands alongside “Rushmore,” “The Royal Tenenbaums” and “Fantastic Mr. Fox” as one of Anderson’s best and most inventive movies, and this will continue to be the case with each successive motion picture he makes. His work represents a highly imaginative cinematic landscape that filmmakers in general do not have the opportunity and support to pull off, and the realization of this proves to be quite depressing. Movies like this one make me hope there are still those in Hollywood who will not be risk adverse on a regular basis and embrace creativity more often than not.

* * * * out of * * * *

‘Burn After Reading’ – Another Darkly Comedic Film From the Coen Brothers

Posted on by The Ultimate Rabbit

WRITER’S NOTE: Ralph Garman selected this as his Video Vault pick on the August 14, 2020 episode of “The Ralph Report.” It was an excellent selection on his part.

WOW! That was quick! Following Joel and Ethan Coen’s Oscar-winning masterpiece “No Country for Old Men” in 2007, they gave us their follow-up of “Burn After Reading” a short later. Some filmmakers take their sweet time following up a cinematic triumph of theirs, but the Coens did not want to waste any time. This film follows the tradition of them making a movie which is the polar opposite of what they previously gave us. Most reviews at the time mentioned of how the Coens went from making “Fargo” to giving us “The Big Lebowski,” and how they went from “The Man Who Wasn’t There” to “Intolerable Cruelty.” With these brothers, it is always important to expect the unexpected because they are never out to do the same thing twice.

I’m not going to bother comparing “Burn After Reading” to “No Country for Old Men” because the only thing these two have in common is they were made by the same people. It’s like comparing the Marx Brothers’ “Duck Soup” to Lars Von Trier’s “Breaking the Waves,” and this threatens to say more about the critic than it does about the films themselves. This particular one is more of a lightweight effort you could ever expect from the Coens, and it is a reminder of how hysterically dark their comedy can get.

“Burn After Reading” is a crazy movie to say the least, and it does not really have a plot as much as it does a plethora of characters who are unleashed on us through a selfish act of utter stupidity. As a result, there is no rug of any kind which can tie this room of a movie together. The main drive of the action comes from Chad Feldheimer (Brad Pitt) who discovers a disk at the gym he works at which contains classified information from a former CIA operative, Osborne Cox (John Malkovich). Along with his fellow co-worker, Linda Litzke (the always fantastic Frances McDormand), they both connive to act as “good Samaritans” and give the disk back to Osborne, providing he pays them several thousands of dollars as a reward. Naturally, this plan, which was not given much thought to begin with, goes awry and involves many others in this scheme, all of whom are never entirely sure of what they have gotten themselves into, or of whom they can trust.

Let’s look at the characters, shall we? Chad is a personal trainer at the Hardbodies gym who is, to put it mildly, rather dense and not playing with a full deck. His manager, Ted Treffon (Richard Jenkins) doesn’t want to get involved in this blackmail plan, but he simultaneously has a huge unrequited crush on Linda, and she is upset because her insurance won’t cover the various forms of plastic surgery she wants to get. In the meantime, she is going through the motions of internet dating and ends up meeting Harry Pfarrer (George Clooney). Harry is actually married and in the midst of an affair with Osborne’s wife, Katie (Tilda Swinton), and she herself is planning to divorce her husband who is now in the midst of writing his memoirs. In the midst of all this, CIA Officer Palmer DeBakey Smith (David Rasche) reports to his superior (the priceless J.K. Simmons) of the goings on, and of the ways they are going to keep this all under wraps.

Are you with me so far? Clearly, this is a movie which will benefit from more than one viewing to keep up with everything. Like I said, there is no real plot to speak of, other than the blackmail of Osborne Cox. While in some movies this would be an Achilles heel, it works for the Coens as it allows you to keep guessing as to what will happen next. Just when you think you know where things are going, it has another surprise up its sleeve. There were moments both funny and shocking, and I was eager to see what would happen next.

“Burn After Reading” combines a lot of actors the Coen brothers have worked with over the years like George Clooney and Frances McDormand, and they also got to add newcomers to their strange cinematic universe like John Malkovich and Brad Pitt. It’s a kick to see all these actors let their hair down in a film which was never meant to be taken seriously by anyone.

The most inspired performance in this movie comes from Pitt. Clean shaven, thin, buff, and an avid bicycle rider, his character is a hilarious creation of a physically fit moron who has no clear idea of just how in over his head he is. It was funniest performance since his ultimate stoner of a character, Floyd, in “True Romance.”

Another one who is a huge kick to watch here is Clooney as he blows away just every bit of coolness in his system to play an increasingly neurotic philanderer who is always on the verge of anaphylactic shock as he keeps warning everyone he hangs out with about his life-threatening allergies. To see Clooney let loose here is a reminder of how he constantly tries in real life to not take himself too seriously. It also makes you wonder if he and Swinton will ever be in a movie together where they play characters who have a healthy relationship with one another. Keep in mind, they previously appeared together in “Michael Clayton.”

It’s actually a shock to realize this is the first time Malkovich has ever worked with the Coen brothers. He lets it all out here as a CIA operative who quits his job after being demoted in part because of his drinking problem. To see this actor go completely nuts at all the complete idiots he has to deal with is such a hoot. Not many actors can play a character who is quick to absorb the situation they are in and yet still remain in the dark when it comes to the truth of the matter. Malkovich may prefer the stage to the silver screen, but it is always great to see him do something like this.

Frances McDormand gives this movie one of its most lovable characters, in a manner of speaking, as she makes Linda into someone who wants to be free of the ravages of getting older. Seriously, give McDormand the smallest role in a movie, and she always succeeds in making it one of the most unforgettable. If you would like further proof of this, check her out in John Sayles’ “Lonestar.”

Richard Jenkins ends up giving us perhaps the saddest character here, and it is one we hope we don’t end up being. You know, that one person who is forever punished eternally with the pangs of unrequited love. Throughout, Jenkins shows you in his eyes of how much he wants to be with Linda, and he reminds us of how he remains one of the most dependable character actors working in movies.

And I loved the scenes between Rasche and Simmons in the offices of the CIA and how flippant they seemed about the situations which occurred here. I have yet to see another movie where you have CIA members seeming rather laid back in the decisions they make. It never comes down to doing what is best for their country, but of how to make this strange chain of events not get too overwhelming or hectic. Their inconvenience is the biggest problem because it involves secrets getting out, and of more responsibility and paperwork. Seriously, who wants that?

“Burn After Reading” may not be on the same comedic level of brilliance like “The Big Lebowski” or “Raising Arizona,” but it sure is a lot of fun and filled with more daring and originality than many movies which came out in 2008. Many have described it as a “trifle” from the Coens, but you have to admire what they accomplished here as it never fails to entertain from start to finish. We can also take comfort in the fact that these brothers continue to entertain and enthrall us from one film to the next, and their artistic brilliance never lets us down.

* * * ½ out of * * * *