Moonrise Kingdom – 4

Half the humor and twice the budget of Ted, which we saw the same weekend. There are some artists you just don’t like – e.g., John Marin or Thomas Hart Benton – and Wes Anderson is one of those. His artistry is undeniable: he creates his alternate universe – this one is misleadingly labeled “1965” – and the stage sets and the people are all consistent. But I just don’t get it. None of the humor was funny – maybe “sardonic” was his goal instead – and none of his characters had either interest or appeal. Frances McDormand and Bill Murray have never been less attractive onscreen, and you sort of thought that was Anderson’s intent. The young lovers, Sam and Suzy, had more quirk than charm, and came across as cogs in Anderson’s bizarre wheel, not real people. In the future, when Anderson indulges himself artistically I will try to stay home.

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