Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

Dir: Wes Anderson

Writers: Wes Anderson, Roman Coppola

Starring: Kara Hayward, Jared Gilman, Edward Norton, Bruce Willis, Frances McDormand, Bill Murray

I saw this earlier in 2012 the weekend it was in limited release (I love living in New York!), the day after being the maid of honor in my best friend's wedding. You could describe my best friend as whimsy and stylized in the same vein of Wes Anderson--she's a huge fan, of course. So it felt like a honor that on the weekend of her wedding, we were able to catch this movie, and that it turned out to be perfectly adorable, fun, and great.

The story of two young teenagers living on a fictitious little island off the coast of New England in 1965, Sam and Suzy are outcasts who find an attraction to each other as kids not accepted by their peers, adults, or their parents. Anderson's directing takes another step towards ultimate quirky sophistication, and I think he's grown considerably since his earlier works with this foray. His shots look like old '60s photographs as he pans across his characters.

I popped this in the player on New Year's Day--it was my first movie of 2013! It was a great way to welcome the new year, as I sat next to my husband delighted and laughing the whole time.

The Best: The moment Bill Murray takes off his shoe and throws it at Ed Norton's character is one of my favorites, but I have to give it to the leads Hayward and Gilman--from when they awkwardly meet each other to their 'playing house' on the beach.

Fact: The screenplay was just nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay!

Rating: ********** (10 out of 10)

Safety Not Guaranteed (2012)

 



Dir: Colin Treverrow
Writer: Derek Connolly
Starring: Aubrey Plaza, Mark Duplass, Jake Johnson

I saw this movie this past summer and it was quite the difference from the movie I'd seen earlier in the day -- Prometheus. However, I took to the small, independent, and heartfelt movie. It may also be because I love Mark Duplass in everything.

The movie is about a loner magazine intern who doesn't quite fit in with her surroundings, no matter what they might be. Plaza plays Darius with her usual acerbic wit, but the softer side of her was there, too. Her boss (Johnson) brings her along on his assignment to seek out the author of the 'Safety Not Guaranteed' ad (on the poster), and that's where we find Duplass as Kenneth, a slightly weirder loner, but one that Darius instantly connects with.

While the plot was a bit shallow--never diving too deep--the movie was enjoyable, especially the scenes betwen Darius and Kenneth. I was not as taken with Johnson's secondary plotline of finding an old love, but it makes sense with the themes of the movie.

The ending was probably the part that really got me. I liked the movie, but then the end had me grinning from ear to ear. It's not the year's best movie, but it might be its most feel-good. At least for me.

The Best: Mark Duplass. Because he's having quite a year, for good reason! See his other 2012 roster: Your Sister's Sister, Darling Companion, People Like Us, The League, The Mindy Project, Zero Dark Thirty.

 



Fact: The ad that the movie revolves around is a real ad that was run in a 1997 issue of Backwoods Home Magazine. It was a last-minute filler by a guy who worked at the magazine, and eventually circulated on television and the internet. In the movie, the original author of the ad makes a cameo as the first guy to open a PO box that Darius and her co-intern are watching.

Rating: ********* (9 out of 10)

Friends with Kids (2012)

Dir: Jennifer Westfeldt
Writers: Jennifer Westfeldt
Starring: Jennifer Westfeldt, Adam Scott, Maya Rudolph, Kristin Wiig, Scott O'Down, Jon Hamm

I saw this movie earlier this year in the theaters, but my thoughtful brother sent me the DVD as a birthday gift a couple of months ago.

I've been a huge fan of Jennifer Westfeldt since I saw Kissing Jessica Stein when I was in college, and a few years ago when I saw Ira & Abby. She wrote both of those movies, which are smart, funny, and not your run-of-the-mill rom-com or lady comedy. Friends with Kids is her directorial debut, and I liked it a lot, too.

Overall, this film is about three couples, two who are in romantic relationships and have kids, and another who are strictly platonic but decide to have kids due to the ol' biological clock and because they observe that kids can take all the romance out of a relationship. It can seem a bit winded when typing it all out. But the movie is funny and charming, while there are some things I have to ignore in order to like it, but that's the case with most films, isn't it? I think Westfeldt understands that her characters are not the most realistic or smart -- but there wouldn't be an interesting movie without these two best friends agreeing to a slightly kooky life plan. So, I have to suspend my disbelief, and Westfeldt puts in some great scenes to demonstrate that yeah, this is kind of crazy. The supporting cast (all plucked from Bridesmaids) are particularly great in these scenes.

Westfeldt and Adam Scott play off each other really well, and I love them both. You root for all the characters, and there are moments of sadness throughout, even though it's more of a comedy. I do like how odd and different the plot was from most movies out these days--it seemed more thoughtful--but the ending still seemed a little trite against the rest of the movie. I mean, I feel great that it all works out, but sometimes I want the characters to be challenged a little more!

The Best: When the other two disapproving couples come over to the new parents' apartment for the first time and think they're about to walk into a harried scene, but it ends up exactly the opposite. The outtakes on the gag reel from this scene are also hilarious.

Fact: Westfeldt's been dating co-star Jon Hamm in real life for over ten years. He had bit parts in all of her movies pre-Mad Men era!

Rating: ******** (8 out of 10)