Stanley Kubrick, Terrence Malick, and David Fincher. These are three of the names that would first come to mind if I was asked the question: “Which directors could you not possibly live without?” The fourth would be none other than Wes Anderson. Last September I wrote a piece which featured an interview with The Queen Of FEELguide herself, Ms. Tilda Swinton, and her inside scoop on the status of Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom. The film had wrapped up filming only a few short days prior in early September 2011, and she elaborated on her role in the film:
Swinton confirmed that the plot will also follow the grown-ups involved in the search, of which she plays one. “It’s about a community of adults who don’t really know what they’re doing, and I play one of them. She’s the point of authority, she’s social services, and she’s brought in as a sort of last resort, force majeure. And she has a head to head with Bruce Willis, which you can imagine is quite fun.” Indeed, when Swinton says that “she’s social services,” she’s not kidding; the character, described as “a fifty-year-old woman in a blue and white uniform pants-suit with a Salvation Army officer-style hat and a red ribbon tied in a bow around her neck,” is named simply Social Services in the script.
The very first trailer for Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom was released yesterday and it is nothing less than pure, unbridled Anderson at his very best. Few directors — not just in contemporary cinema, but the entirety of it — have developed a style as unique, luscious, and quirky as Anderson has during his career as a master storyteller. There are so many captivating moments in this short glimpse of Moonrise Kingdom, it’s rendered me moonstruck. Apart from the story itself (The 1960s storyline follows the aftermath of two young children who run away together from a small New England town), the visual glimpses alone are utterly spellbinding.
Providing an extra layer of serendipitous electricity to this trailer is Anderson’s use of legendary French chanteuse Francoise Hardy‘s song “Le Temps de l’Amour“. During the netherweek between Christmas and New Year’s I watched Denis Arcand’s Academy Award-winning 2003 film The Barbarian Invasions (Les Invasions Barbares) once again and — as with each time I watch it — I was floored. The film is nothing short of a triumph, and in the very last scene comes the ultimate emotional knockout punch. What sets off this closing moment of Invasions so brilliantly is Arcand’s use of one of Francoise Hardy’s most heartbreaking songs, her 1965 tearjerker “L’AMITIÉ” (French for “Friendship”) which doesn’t just pull on my heart strings during that final scene — it rips them right out of my chest. I’ve attached her performance below, and if you have not yet seen The Barbarian Invasions: do yourself a huge favor and watch it as soon as possible. Just be sure to have a box of Kleenex nearby during the last 15 minutes.
Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom is set for release in North America in May 2012. To enter a beautiful world of tribute towards Wes Anderson head over to RushmoreAcademy.com. To watch Charlie Rose’s November 2009 interview with Wes Anderson during the promotional tour for Fantastic Mr. Fox CLICK HERE (and click on Wes’ image to start the video player).
