My verdict is in. Moonrise Kingdom has stolen my heart. This is one of the best and most original movies of 2012. (Of course, I’m still looking forward to Shut Up and Play the Hits, The Dark Knight Rises, The Amazing Spider-Man, The Hobbit, The Bourne Legacy, Beasts of the Southern Wild, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Looper, Argo, Flight, Skyfall, Hyde Park on Hudson, Les Miserables and The Great Gatsby –just to name a few!–). From cinematography, color, dialogue, screenplay, costume, set design, graphic design and music; Moonrise excels. EVERYTHING is manicured and oozes the definitive vision of Wes Anderson. I rank this movie along with my favorite Anderson films (The Life Aquatic and The Royal Tenenbaums).
Seeing Moonrise twice, gave me the ability to fully appreciate all of the dense detail in the movie that I did not see in my first viewing. You could live in Anderson’s movies. He crafts worlds full of an imaginative real life. Places that glorify everyday objects, colors, people and environments. He bends and weaves his stories through these elements with the end result being a truly real and fantastic experience for his audience.
On the music front, Anderson is a trendsetter. He has the ability to choose the perfect song for the perfect moment in all of his films. The soundtrack to the film is full of fully formed retro classics, children’s songs and an original score by Alexandre Desplat. My favorite musical moments in Moonrise: Sam and Suzy dancing on the beach to Françoise Hardy’s Le Temps de l’Amour, Sam rowing his canoe to Hank William’s Kaw-Liga and the beautifully riveting songs by Choir of Downside School. View the album art/tracklist below:
Click image to buy the soundtrack on Amazon
Moonrise Kingdom:
01 Leonard Bernstein & the New York Philharmonic – “The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, Op. 34: Themes A-F”
02 Peter Jarvis and His Drum Corps – “Camp Ivanhoe Cadence Medley”
03 English Chamber Orchestra, Benjamin Britten – “‘Playful Pizzicato’ from Simple Symphony, Op. 4″
04 Hank Williams – “Kaw-Liga”
05 Trevor Anthony, Owen Brannigan, David Pinto, Darian Angadi, Stephen Alexander, Caroline Clack, Marie-Therese Pinto, Eileen O’Donovan, Chorus of Animals, English Opera Group Orchestra, Merlin Channon, Norman Del Mar – “Noye’s Fludde, Op. 59: ‘Noye, Noye, Take Thou Thy Company’”
06 Alexandre Desplat – “The Heroic Weather-Conditions of the Universe, Part 1: A Veiled Mist”
07 Alexandre Desplat – “The Heroic Weather-Conditions of the Universe, Part 2: Smoke/Fire”
08 Alexandre Desplat – “The Heroic Weather-Conditions of the Universe, Part 3: The Salt Air”
09 Choir of Downside School, Purley, Emanuel School Wandsworth, Boys’ Choir, London Symphony Orchestra, Benjamin Britten – “A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act 2: ‘On the Ground, Sleep Sound’”
10 Hank Williams – “Long Gone Lonesome Blues”
11 Leonard Bernstein & the New York Philharmonic – “Le Carnaval des Animaux: ‘Volière’”
12 Françoise Hardy – “Le Temps de l’Amour”
13 Alexandra Rubner, Christopher Manien – “An die Musik”
14 Hank Williams – “Ramblin’ Man”
15 Choir of Downside School, Purley, Viola Tunnard, Benjamin Britten – “Songs From Friday Afternoons, Op. 7: ‘Old Abram Brown’”
16 Alexandre Desplat – “The Heroic Weather-Conditions of the Universe Parts 4-6: Thunder, Lightning, and Rain”
17 David Pinto, Darian Angadi, Stephen Alexander, Owen Brannigan, Sheila Rex, Caroline Clack, Marie-Therese Pinto, Eileen O’Donovan, Patricia Garrod, Margaret Hawes, Kathleen Petch, Gillian Saunders, Trevor Anthony, Chorus of Animals, English Opera Group Orchestra, Merlin Channon, Norman Del Mar – “Noye’s Fludde, Op. 59: ‘The Spacious Firmament on High’”
18 Trevor Anthony, Chorus of Animals, Sheila Rex, David Pinto, Darian Angadi, Stephen Alexander, English Opera Group Orchestra, Merlin Channon, Norman Del Mar – “Noye’s Fludde, Op. 59: ‘Noye, Take Thy Wife Anone’”
19 Leonard Bernstein & The New York Philharmonic – “The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, Op. 34 Fugue: Allegro Motto”
20 Choir of Downside School, Purley, Viola Tunnard, Benjamin Britten – “Songs From Friday Afternoons, Op. 7: ‘Cuckoo!’”
21 Alexandre Desplat – “The Heroic Weather-Conditions of the Universe, Part 7: After The Storm”
Pitchfork posted a really interesting interview with Anderson and music adviser Randall Poster last week. Read the full interview after the jump.
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Filed under: Art, Design, Movies, Moonrise Kingdom, Wes Anderson
