Excerpt from Movie Review

 The Wes Anderson film Moonrise Kingdom opens during a thunderstorm, in an idyllic summer home in Massachusetts. The warm, faded interior of the home illuminated by yellow light provides an immediate contrast to the weather outdoors, intensified by an orchestral soundtrack. These opening elements continue throughout the movie: the stormy weather comes back in the climax, a stunning set is consistent, and the opening music is as dramatic as the story itself.  The storyline of Moonrise Kingdom may be easy to criticize, but the whimsical nature of the film, the beautiful scenery, and its dark, ironic humor make it an endearing one.
The audience is first introduced to one of the movie’s two protagonists, Suzy (Kara Hayward), a resident of the summer home. She’s somewhat of a dark young girl with an intense stare and an unsmiling face. During the film, we come to know she is considered “extremely troubled” by her parents and disliked by peers. This parallels our other hero, Sam (Jared Gilman), an orphan staying at Camp Ivanhoe on the same island as Suzy. Just like her, he has a troubled past and no friends. This is where their stories intersect, after meeting at a church play. They correspond through letters, lamenting how out of place they both are, and plan an escape from their prospective lives into the woods together.
As with other Wes Anderson films, the setting is the highlight of the movie. Each set is intricately designed and decorated. Suzy’s home, the camp, and even the local church seem whimsical and idyllic. Much of the movie takes place in the outdoors, the product being fantastic shots of coastal woodland. The resulting scenery is both aesthetically pleasing and nostalgic, with the props and costumes fitting of 1965, the year in which Moonrise Kingdom takes place. The strategic filming adds to the magic of Suzy and Sam’s story; it feels like anything is possible in this eccentric little world.