This is the
sort of film that in most cases either; works perfectly or just don’t work at
all. Luckily this works perfectly. From Wes Anderson (no relation to Paul
Thomas Anderson or Paul W. Anderson) we get a wonderful tale of young love and
the adventurous spirit of youth. The film takes place on a small fictional
island in the US during the sixties, where two young teenagers decide to run
away together, causing a mess as people are looking for them. The island is
populated by a great cast of quirky character, in a pretty quirky world. The
film often feels like it is seen from a child´s imaginative and adventurous
perspective and so while the world never feels real, we can all relate to
growing up in this world.
There is
always a risk with having child actors in major roles, however both leads pull
of their role very well and they have a chemistry which is so incredibly
reminiscent how it is in real life at that age. However they do seem to be a
bit more troubled then most young teenagers and we uncover some dark spots for
the character, but again the actors pull it off. It´s impressive how Anderson
manages to give these kids a certain amount of complexion, while still keeping
their innocence. The adult cast is also great. Edward Norton gives one of my favourite
performances by him ever, as the odd tidy and slightly neurotic leader of the
boy scouts. This is also probably one of my favourite Bruce Willis performance
as the cop, who was actually one of the less quirky characters, but became
pretty likable. What really ground all these great, but incredibly odd
characters, in reality is that all of them have a sense of melancholia. Many of
these people are sad and only, which even further enhances the feeling of
freedom the runaway kids get when they are out in the free. The characters all
have seemingly boring, procedural lives and never really look happy, whilst
those who break from their habit do suddenly start to look happier.
The story
in itself, might not be very original, two young teenager rebelling against
their society, trying to break free from the rules of their superiors and
releasing their lust for adventure. However the way the story is told, feel
satisfyingly original. The colour palette of this greenish-yellowish-brown,
works very well and really make us even more think of this as almost a surreal
fairly-tale. Everything from set-design to costume design, to small details in
performances or even just ones hand-writing, help make this feel like a real
place despite all its quirkiness. Anderson is very consistent in his directing
and so while some people will argue this is style over substance, I never felt
that way and I never felt he was showing off. From the great opening shot to
the puzzling final shot, every shot is equally stylish, equally beautiful and
equally painted. There is not any point in the movie where Anderson thought he
could really impress people with a certain shot, but instead every single one
impress equally and so it is easy to get lost in the world.
Being both
funny and heart-warming, this is a film everyone can relate to. I can´t imagine
a film that better portray our adventurousness, confusing and the feeling of
being an outsider, but finding ways to escape from that reality and still be
happy about our life. Most people experience all of these feelings as a kid or
young teen and we relive those feelings through this film. In all its
quirkiness, this is easily one of the best films of the year, one that I will
be coming back to year after year and be able to relive how I felt in my
childhood.
5/5
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