8) Moonrise Kingdom
Some moviegoers cannot stand Wes Anderson’s offbeat sensibility, but even his biggest critics may have a hard time not rooting for Sam Shakusky (Jared Gilman) and Suzy Bishop (Kara Hayward), two pubescent rebels on the run from their parents in the director’s most soulful film. The relationship that drives Moonrise Kingdom holds a disarming dramatic weight. Sam and Suzy see the other as a refuge from the burdens of their life. He is a boy scout who is the victim of teasing and bullying, as well as an orphan. She has parents but wishes to be an orphan, since they do not understand her. Both yearn for adventure in their own wondrous cove (that brings the film its title), away from regular society.
In one of the best montages in recent cinema, Sam and Suzy’s epistolary relationship comes to life, a record of their correspondence and their developing need for each other. The montage alternates between shots of Sam and Suzy’s meager youth, accompanied by voice-over of the letters they wrote to each other about these bitter chapters in their lives. Instead of reciting the full letters, we hear small excerpts of their feelings and notice how their own childhoods are following a similar pattern.
The sequence may remind you of what it’s like to be on a date, constantly interrupting the other’s conversation to add colour and insight to their stories as it pertains to your own. The best first dates likely have overlapping conversations of a similar electric speed, as you try to find common ground with a potential partner.
Moonrise Kingdom is not just a good date movie because it is a charming romance. The experience of watching these two souls find something special in each other is similar to how many people get to know each other on dates: through finding a common ground and excitedly moving back and forth until they find the deeper reasons why they should be together.