Moonrise Kingdom Features All Star Cast - A Review

The 411 by Maria:

The movie starts off feeling very odd to me, I mean Ed Norton, Bruce Willis, Bill Murphy, Francis McDormand, and Harvey Keitel (to name a few) big name folks in a movie that seems very dated, slow and "stage" like.  Ed Norton in a "cub scout leader" like uniform through the whole movie was just odd.  BUT...once you get past that you see it is a yesteryear look into the 60's done in a beautifully nostalgic way when life was simpler.  BUT...beside all of that, it is a beautifully done, well act movie by all players. 

The story focuses on two tweens, one odd and an orphan and the other from a well to do home. Their love story is very sweet, and the actors both in their first film are incredibly talented.  The girl, Suzy played by Kara Hayward reminded me of a young Abagail Breslin and the actor Sam, played by Jared Gilman was adorably odd and dorky with his slightly askew glasses and crooked smile.

The scenes are set up beautifully and while the movie is slow, quiet and sweet, the love story of these two children affect all around them mostly for the better.

I love the scenes of the two off on their own, making camp, fishing, taking inventory of their belongs and taking care of each other. Very sweet.

There are a few scenes that I was uncomfortable with as the two youths (I sound like Joe Pesci), were 12ish during the filming and spend a bit of time in their underwear. I mostly imagine 70 or so people on the set while these two walk and dance around in their skivvies and how wrong that is. Their kissing scenes are adorable too and not overly sexualized but I always wonder what sick fantasy the writer or director are living out.

All in all, this is a good movie with a great cast!