1. Moonrise Kingdom
Moonrise Kingdom is truly a stunning piece of work that in my opinion has become the definitive Wes Anderson film. The film deals with the turbulent period in every persons life when adolescence turns into a desire to be independent and an urge to escape and grow up becomes overwhelming. The protagonist of the film is Sam Shakusky (Jared Gilman) who has developed romantic feelings for Suzy Bishop (Kara Hayward) and ultimately runaway together in order to escape the confinement of each others reality. Both Gilmans & Hayward performances are rather remarkable given their young age and carry the films heart along, while the ever present feeling of the inevitable begins to catch up with them. Its heart lies in the charm of the films characters, all of who have their flaws, but ones that are realistic and everyday. A particularly notable performance is that of Bruce Willis who plays Captain Sharp, a local policeman who happens to be having an affair with Bill Murrays (Walt Bishop) wife Laura (Frances McDormand). Its a typically understated performances that show Willis does have the ability to move away from action and begin a new phase of his career, something that Bill Murray has shown repeatedly in Andersons film, can be done with truly remarkable results. Commercially and critically successful, the film again represents everything that Anderson as a filmmaker is all about. Quirky mannerisms, nostalgia, the development of characters and witnessing the turbulent choices that we all must make while representing charm and heart, to create a film that grabs at our emotions and allows us to connect with each character individually. Personally I feel that Moonrise Kingdom is the film I can relate to the most, with the feelings of abandonment and loneliness playing a significant role in my early teenage years and a feeling that Im sure is shared by the majority of those that felt Moonrise Kingdom was superior to the indie cult film Rushmore. While Moonrise Kingdom may not appeal to some, like all of Anderson's films, to those the are willing it can be the most wonderful of cinema experiences.