Movie review: 'Moonrise Kingdom' great end to watchable-movie drought

When you sit down on the couch or step into a theater to watch a Wes Anderson film, you know that you are in for something special. His track record includes films like "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou," "Rushmore" and "The Darjeeling Limited" — all great films filled with eccentric and memorable characters.

If you aren't familiar with his work, all it will take is short trip to the video store to feel how excited I was for "Moonrise Kingdom."

In a small New England town in the 1960s, a young orphan named Sam (played by Jared Gilman) runs away with Suzy (played by Kara Hayward), and the many faces of the town scramble to find them. The town is populated with many familiar faces such as Bruce Willis, Bill Murray and Edward Norton.

I found the plot and the script of this movie genius. Anyone that grew up in a small town knows just how well everyone hides their problems until everything starts to fall apart. This movie illustrates that idea perfectly. The dialogue is written in a quick Hemmingway-esque fashion, making all the scenes move at an interesting pace I could only describe as brisk. All the while, the situational humor — notably how much older the children act than the adults — keeps a smile on your face throughout the film.

The art direction of the film follows the Anderson style of awkwardly perfect shot angles and composition coupled with bright yet believable colors. The movie was shot on 16mm film, giving it a classic feel. It was shot on location in Rhode Island, so the film's scenery is beautiful; frankly, I wanted to go camping as soon as the credits started to roll.

The soundtrack also was brilliant. It feature new songs alongside many pieces from the period. In short, it was masterfully picked for the film and would be a great addition to any album collection, too.

Plain and simply, this is the best movies of the last 365 days. I feel like it's going to be a candidate for multiple Oscars and would deserve every single one of them. The cast is so cohesive, the film feels alive. The craft is masterful, and the soundtrack is awesome.

We have been in a drought of enjoyable films for so long and suffered through awful movie after awful movie. You owe it to yourself to see this.

Shawn Stafford is an international and area studies junior.

Shawn Stafford

Shawn is a former staff member of The Oklahoma Daily who worked as Life & Arts Reporter.