My daughter went to see "Moonrise Kingdom" some time back and she said she felt out of sync with the hype for the film. While she liked it, she didn't think it was as brilliant or wonderful and reviews would indicate. Too often this is the case with very good films. The reviews are SO glowing that you feel let down when you finally see it ("The Artist" was such a film for me). My experience was a bit difference. Now that I heard how she thought the film was overrated, I expected less from the film--and perhaps this helped me like it more. Now this is not to say I adored the film--it had a few minor problems. Sometimes the incredibly overly restrained acting annoyed me--as I know this was very deliberate but it also occasionally frustrated me--especially with Bill Murray whose one style of acting in recent films has been to pretend he's a zombie. Otherwise, though, this is a must-see picture. Even with its overly mannered style (the singing, the flatness of affect, etc.),the story is so wildly original that it is still very captivating. I wanted to see more when it ended--and that's a good sign.

It's the 60s on a New England island. Sam Shakusky is attending Camp Ivanhoe. He falls for Suzy Bishop who lives on the island with her parents. The two awkward outsider teens run away setting off chaos among the other characters.

This is Wes Anderson's movie all the way through. There is no mistaking his style. He is now as recognizable as any film style ever made. Everything is set up for a good flowing story. They have a dangerous storm bearing down on them. People are out looking for them. But then they're caught midway thru the movie.

It detours a bit after that. The pace slows and the story rambles on. It's still very compelling, but it could have been much simpler and better. The kids are great. We have Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand. There are big time stars and they are all solid in their roles. Overall a very good job.

I will be really interested to see next year's Academy Awards, especially the one for cinematography. This is a course in that subject. The camera plays with everyone and is the trued hero in this film. Once I realized that this was not a conventional movie, but one with quirky characters and deep psychology overtones, I settled back and was mesmerized. This is the story of a couple misfits, caught in a claustrophobic world where they don't belong. They come form a dysfunctional ethos but maintain dreams they don't understand. They manage to persevere despite the odds against them. This is a lovely film with some of our best actors: Frances McDormand, Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, all caught up in their own debilitating existences and trying to move from one day to the next. This is one of those gems that come along once in a blue moon. It is full of charm, wit, kindness, pain, and a whole hose of characters you will have a hard time forgetting.