Moonrise Kingdom

On an  island off the coast of New England, a misfit orphan abandons his boy scout troop and  runs away with the sullen village girl he had met and fallen in love with the year prior. As a rescue party gathers, which includes the remainder of his squad led by their irrepressible leader (Edward Norton), the girl's emotionally distant parents (Bill Murray and Frances McDormand), and the island police captain (Bruce Willis), the well-being of the subject's usually glazed over states of tumult are finally called to the forefront. "Moonrise Kingdom" is a warm and tender letter only to childhood adulation, but also to unrequited love and innocence. It is beautifully shot and wonderfully directed on its Rhode Island locations by Wes Anderson who keeps his fanciful sensibilities in balance, and crafts his grandest and most mature work to date. Its star studded cast, which also includes Tilda Swinton, Bob Balaban, and a very funny Jason Schwartzman are all excellent (Willis deserves award contention), but its younger, unknown cast also sparkles, especially Jared Gillman and Kara Hayward who play the young lovers. I have often felt held at arm's length by Anderson's overly whimsical work. Watching this film though I realized he is keeping film as art alive, a kind of cinematic tradition that is almost virtually extinct.