My wife and I want to see this, but it’s not playing in Raleigh. Is it still in limited release or are we too late?
It just opened here today (on two screens, no less).
The Carolina Theatre in Durham lists it as coming June 29th.
I thought this was the funniest wes anderson movie. Maybe the best too.
Of the common wes anderson traps: I certainly didnt feel like the plot was airy or insubstantial; the surrealism and whimsy werent distracting, but rather built into the details of an impossibly detailed universe. Even something like the mother using a megaphone, it’s not random, it’s her emotional distance being heightened to a comic conclusion.
Echoing tom about the setting, I really liked the setting. Penzance is impeccably detailed, and while it’s doesnt adhere to reality, it works on its terms. It was more fully realized than reality. It’s a beautiful cartoon fantasy of 1965. Anyways, past all that, MK was hilarious and affecting. Best movie of ive seen yet this year.
I’m in the same boat – Wes Anderson is one of the many shameful black holes in my movie watching experience – but while Fantastic Mr Fox movie completely rubbed me the wrong way and made me feel like I was fine leaving him a black hole, I loved, loved, loved this movie.
I think the key difference is perspective. For me, Fox was a story about a midlife crisis brute-forced into a children’s tale, and the whole thing (nearly, the train scene was pretty wonderful) felt like it was pitched completely wrong. Moonrise, being centered on two wonderful child actors, felt completely earnest and right. All that much derided quirk seemed like a genuine expression of their outlook, and I left the theatre with a big goofy grin on my face.
That reminds me, I should get back to finishing Wes Anderson’s movies. A month of distraction as I moved across the country is no excuse for continuing to forget about it now!
Once again I find myself looking for the “Like” button.
-xtien
Same, haven’t seen this one yet. Life Aquatic is one of the few of his films I saw several times.
I need to buy the bluray, so I can capture that shot & make it my background.
Yes, this is a must!
Please share when you do. If nothing else, Moonrise Kingdom is the most beautifully shot Anderson film to date IMO.
Moonrise was my favorite film of his since Rushmore, which isn’t to say I dislike the ones in between. But I agree with Kaigen, he’s repeating himself. In a good way with some, and in a very good way with Moonrise.
More importantly, it’s shameful that you people have gone two pages deep in a Wes Anderson thread without mentioning Bottle Rocket, my far-and-away favorite of his. It’s such an egregious absence that I broke my silence and posted in this sub-forum.
I think the only reason it hasn’t come up much here is that Moonrise Kingdom is a very different movie, so it isn’t as topical in this thread. It probably would have if we hadn’t split off our discussion for people new to his films.
But that does remind me, I really need to go watch Bottle Rocket again now that I’ve let it settle. As for Moonrise Kingdom, it’s less than a month away!
Yes, but Criterion will certainly have their turn. Fantastic Mr. Fox is the only Wes Anderson that didn’t get a Criterion edition, and I think they’re worthwhile.
Also, please make a splitscreen image of that Afghan girl from the National Geographic cover next to Suzy on the beach as “Le Temps de l’Amour” plays. Intense girl stare power activate!
Speaking of “Le Temps de l’Amour”, the soundtrack is fine. I hadn’t heard “A Young Person’s Guide To The Orchestra” since I was a young person guided through the orchestra. That, and the track at the end with an incredible number of alternate instruments, is an amazing tutorial of every instrument you could ever need.
Wes Anderson wrote the liner notes. He said that he was in a production of “Noye’s Fludde” when he was a kid, playing one of the animals, and that was his main inspiration for making this movie.
Best use of a Narrator ever?
Yes! Does anyone else find him totally hilarious? I was the only one in the theater cracking up when he was onscreen; he’s so serious and laser focused that he’s oblivious to external factors. When the camera light goes out and he just continues his monologue like nothing’s gone wrong? Fantastic.
Watched last night and, boy howdy, was that great. Easily my favorite Wes Anderson (I remember liking Bottle Rocket more than Rushmore, et. al., but it’s been too long so I don’t remember why).
I’ve always been a sucker for Anderson’s mannered style, but I usually ended up enjoying but being kinda let down by how movies like Tenenbaums and Life Aquatic didn’t care to keep some focus but would rather sprawl out in lots of (delightful) character studies.
I think Moonrise Kingdom really shows how more narrative focus really complements Anderson’s characterization style and humor. Man, I loved everything going on in that Khaki Scouts main camp (except maybe the cheesy rescue from the exploding tent).
Just loved this. May be the best movie I’ve seen all year.
I think this might be the Wes Anderson movie so bad that it manages to reach backwards through time and ruin The Royal Tenenbaums for me.
Well, that’s just, like, your opinion, man.
(Also: It’s wrong.)
<dead-eyed stare>
Thought it was one of the highlights of a year with quite a few highlights. Can’t even begin to fathom how anyone could hate it.