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Oscar Index: PGA Propellant And The N-Word (Nominations!) For ‘Django Unchained’

Posted on January 4, 2013 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

After a momentary holiday lull, it’s back on! Or as Calvin Candie says in Django Unchained . “We got us a fight going on that’s a good bit of fun.” Academy voters were given one extra day to mull over their Oscar nomination ballots, thanks to a voting deadline extension necessitated by complaints and concerns over the Academy’s first-ever electronic voting system. They could use that 24 hours to digest the Producers Guild Award nominations , which were announced Wednesday, a day early. From here, the awards season proceeds at 48 frames per second , bringing the Oscar race into sharp focus. The Director’s Guild of America nominations for Best Director will be announced Jan. 8, with Oscar nominations announced on the 10th,in advance of the Golden Globes, which will be handed out on the 13th. The PGA ceremony will be held on the 26th, followed by the SAG awards the following night. Feb. 2 brings the DGAs, one of the most reliable Oscar indicators, followed by the Independent Spirit Awards (and the Razzies) on the 23rd and the Oscars on the 24th. This is the earliest Oscar voting in history, Variety’s Jon Weisman noted, and he feared for the “dark horse” candidates as voters race to catch up to the big ticket films such as Django Unchained and Les Miserables that were released at the end of the year. “We’ll never quantify the impact… on the coming Academy Award nominations, but I’m thinking negative,” he writes. The Best Picture race was most impacted this week. So, let’s consult the Gold Linings Playbook to see which films benefited from the PGA bump. Best Picture Since 1990, the winner of the PGA’s Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures -winner was denied on Oscar night only seven times, most recently in 2006, when The Departed took Best Picture honors instead of the PGA’s choice, Little Miss Sunshine . Its 10-film field included most of the expected nominees from A ( Argo ) to Z ( Zero Dark Thirty ). Django Unchained ’s n-word – nomination – only accelerated its momentum, while Beasts of the Southern Wild , a non-union production, deemed ineligible for SAG consideration, and also denied Golden Globe nominations, saw its own Oscar cred strengthened.  (Apparently, Hollywood Foreign Press Association members would rather party with Nicole Kidman than Quvenzhane Wallis ) biggest surprise was the nomination of  Skyfall , which may be poised to do for Bond films what Beauty and the Beast did for animated films; be the first to be nominated for a Best Picture Oscar. But Skyfall shouldn’t press its Oscar-night tux just yet. Last year, Bridesmaids , The Ides of March and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo did not parlay their PGA nominations into Best Picture bids. The Master , Flight , and The Dark Knight Rises , each snubbed by the PGA, have their advocates, and should not be counted out. 1. Lincoln 2. Zero Dark Thirty 3. Argo 4. Silver Linings Playbook 5. Django Unchained 6. Les Misérables 7. Life of Pi 8. Beasts of the Southern Wild 9. Moonrise Kingdom 10. Skyfall Ones to watch: The Dark Knight Rises, Flight, The Master Best Director The heat is still on Zero Dark Thirty , now officially the target of a Senate Intelligence Committee investigation over alleged contact between the filmmakers and CIA officials, but Kathryn Bigelow’s nomination is inevitable. Quentin Tarantino is riding taller in the saddle with Django Unchained ’s PGA nomination, but it’s a tight field and Life of Pi  and Silver Linings Playbook are safer, far less controversial films. Still, it helps to have Samuel L. Jackson in your corner. The PGA snub of The Master sees Paul Thomas Anderson’s  Oscar hopes further recede. 1. Steven Spielberg ( Lincoln ) 2. Kathryn Bigelow ( Zero Dark Thirty ) 3. Ben Affleck ( Argo ) 4. Ang Lee ( Life of Pi ) 5. David O. Russell ( Silver Linings Playbook ) Ones to watch: Quentin Tarantino (Django Unchained). Michael Haneke (Amour), Tom Hooper (Les Miserables), Paul Thomas Anderson (The Master)

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George Clooney to Be Feted at Charity Bash, Michael Mann Heads to Venice Jury: Biz Break

Posted on June 4, 2012 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Also in Monday morning’s brief roundup, the American Black Film Festival will celebrate Think Like a Man , Moonrise Kingdom and Best Exotic Marigold Hotel reign in the specialty box office, while The Avengers passes a new milestone. And the team behind 21 Jump Street take on resuscitating a floundering project. American Black Film Festival to Fete Think Like a Man Think Like a Man opened to $33.6 million on just over 2,000 screens and became Screen Gems’ highest opener ever targeting African-American audiences. On Friday, June 22, the 16th Annual American Black Festival in Miami Beach, FL, ABFF will celebrate the success of the hit film in an event that will include the film’s producer Will Packer, his business partner Rob Hardy, the film’s director, Tim Story as well as select cast members.  Around the ‘net… Specialty Box Office: Moonrise Kingdom and Marigold Hotel Shine as Newcomers Fizzle Among specialty releases, holdovers held the spotlight the first weekend of June. Memorial Day weekend’s record-breaking opener Moonrise Kingdom retained its crown atop the box office in the specialty arena, averaging just over $53K per theater in 16 locations, Deadline reports . Carousel of Hope to Throw George Clooney Bash The group which fights childhood diabetes will host an October gala featuring George Clooney. The biennial fundraiser is the “glitziest, most elaborate event on Hollywood’s charity calendar.” The 26th Carousel of Hope ball, set for Oct. 20 at the Beverly Hilton, Variety reports . The Avengers No. 3 Film of All Time Disney said its latest superhero blockbuster is now the third largest grossing film domestically, surpassing The Dark Knight ‘s $533M. The Avengers passed $538.1M domestically and over $793M internationally making its total over $1.3 billion, Deadline reports . Michael Mann to Lead Venice Jury The director/producer will serve as the leader of the main jury at the 69th Venice Film Festival taking place August 29 – September 8. Also a TV producer ( Miami Vice he directed Manhunter, Heat and Collateral, among others, Variety reports . 21 Jump Street Directors in Negotiations for Carter Beats the Devil Phil Lord and Chris Miller are trying to get Carter Beats the Devil off the ground. Based on the historical mystery novel revolving around magician Charles Carter and written by Glen David Gold, the project has been on Hollywood’s hit list since it was published back in 2001, but it has nevertheless floundered despite heavy-hitters efforts, THR reports .

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REVIEW: A Cat in Paris Captures the Mystery of the Feline Heart with Gorgeous Animation

Posted on May 31, 2012 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

If you could distill essence de chat into a few well-chosen pen strokes, you’d end up with something like Jean-Loup Felicioli and Alain Gagnol’s superb animated adventure A Cat in Paris , a picture whose modest demeanor only underscores how expressive and imaginative it is. This isn’t the kind of big-budget animation we get from the major studios: It’s richness of another sort, a feat of hand-drawn animation that relies on spare but succinct character design and a dazzling sense of perspective — rather than a volley of cultural in-jokes — to tell its story. The picture sparkles, but in the nighttime way — its charms have a noirish gleam. Most of the picture does, in fact, take place at night, beginning and ending with the nocturnal Parisian perambulations of a wily striped cat named Dino. Dino “belongs” to a little girl named Zoe. He pledges his devotion by bringing her little gifts from his nighttime hunting jaunts. Actually, he keeps bringing her the same gift: One dangly, limp dead lizard after another, but Zoe is delighted by them and saves them all in a little box, much to the annoyance of her new nanny. What almost no one knows is that Dino doesn’t go out at night just for fun, or simply out of a feline sense of duty. He’s also a cat burglar, assisting a sneaky but noble local jewel thief, Nico, on his midnight rounds. The plot becomes more complicated — to the extent that it’s complicated at all — by the fact that Zoe’s mother, Jeanne, is a detective with the Paris police. She’s consumed with concern for Zoe, who hasn’t spoken since her father was killed by a square-shouldered, square-headed thug named Victor Costa. She’s also riven with grief, and she’s determined to avenge her husband’s death by catching Costa, who, it turns out, has a new scheme: He plans to steal a precious, valuable and huge antiquity, the Colossus of Nairobi, a hulking totem that’s being brought to the city for an exhibit. Meanwhile, though, Jeanne has peskier problems: Jewels keep disappearing from various households in the city, thanks to Nico and an accomplice with four silent, velvet paws. A Cat in Paris is being released in the states in two versions, an English-language one (in which Marcia Gay Harden, Anjelica Huston and Matthew Modine provide some of the key voices) and a subtitled French one (which features, in the role of the nanny, the voice of actress Bernadette Lafont, who, for those who keep track of such things, played Marie in The Mother and the Whore ). If you’re bringing children and are lucky enough to have bilingual ones, I recommend the French version, since it is simply more French; to hear the English language pouring forth from these characters’ mouths feels just a little wrong. But the visuals of A Cat in Paris resonate in any language, and it doesn’t hurt that the picture features a stunning, stealthy Bernard Hermann-style orchestral score by Serge Bessett. (The music in A Cat in Paris is finer and more resonant than that of any live-action picture I’ve seen this year.) This is Felicioli and Gagnol’s first full-length feature — it was a 2012 Academy Award nominee — and it clocks in at a very trim but visually rich 70 minutes. The filmmakers’ drawings are both meticulous and highly stylized: They render the rooftops of Paris (what is it about city rooftops in general, and Paris rooftops in particular?) as a dusky, velvety patchwork, an invitation to adventure — they take great delight in the city’s highs and lows, in the contrast between tall and short. Their palette features an array of oranges, from muted citrus tones to deep sienna, and lots of deep, nighttime turquoise. And they dot the picture with small but inventive visual touches: When a character dons night goggles, the figures around him are rendered as stark white lines on a flat black surface. And the gargoyles of Notre Dame feature in the climactic chase sequence, a bit of travelogue whimsy that’s nonetheless dramatically gripping, perhaps even a little dizzying for those who are hinky about heights — it doesn’t matter that you can’t really fall off a cartoon building. And then there’s Dino, an utterly bewitching arrangement of orange and chocolate triangles (with a pink one for a nose). Dino isn’t a cute cartoon cat — there’s an element of mystery and devilishness about him, suggesting that Felicioli and Gagnol understand true feline spirit. They also understand feline loyalty, which is a contradiction in terms only to those who don’t understand (to the extent that understanding is possible) these elusive, magnetic creatures. Dino comforts the distressed Zoe by visiting her in bed, sliding under her arms as if he could pretend she’d never notice. And in a way, she doesn’t notice — somehow, suddenly, Dino is simply there , a presence who changes, only ever so slightly, the nature of the room around him. That’s the quiet province of cats everywhere — not just those who are lucky enough to live in the animated city of Paris. Follow Stephanie Zacharek on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .

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REVIEW: A Cat in Paris Captures the Mystery of the Feline Heart with Gorgeous Animation

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REVIEW: A Cat in Paris Captures the Mystery of the Feline Heart with Gorgeous Animation

Posted on May 31, 2012 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

If you could distill essence de chat into a few well-chosen pen strokes, you’d end up with something like Jean-Loup Felicioli and Alain Gagnol’s superb animated adventure A Cat in Paris , a picture whose modest demeanor only underscores how expressive and imaginative it is. This isn’t the kind of big-budget animation we get from the major studios: It’s richness of another sort, a feat of hand-drawn animation that relies on spare but succinct character design and a dazzling sense of perspective — rather than a volley of cultural in-jokes — to tell its story. The picture sparkles, but in the nighttime way — its charms have a noirish gleam. Most of the picture does, in fact, take place at night, beginning and ending with the nocturnal Parisian perambulations of a wily striped cat named Dino. Dino “belongs” to a little girl named Zoe. He pledges his devotion by bringing her little gifts from his nighttime hunting jaunts. Actually, he keeps bringing her the same gift: One dangly, limp dead lizard after another, but Zoe is delighted by them and saves them all in a little box, much to the annoyance of her new nanny. What almost no one knows is that Dino doesn’t go out at night just for fun, or simply out of a feline sense of duty. He’s also a cat burglar, assisting a sneaky but noble local jewel thief, Nico, on his midnight rounds. The plot becomes more complicated — to the extent that it’s complicated at all — by the fact that Zoe’s mother, Jeanne, is a detective with the Paris police. She’s consumed with concern for Zoe, who hasn’t spoken since her father was killed by a square-shouldered, square-headed thug named Victor Costa. She’s also riven with grief, and she’s determined to avenge her husband’s death by catching Costa, who, it turns out, has a new scheme: He plans to steal a precious, valuable and huge antiquity, the Colossus of Nairobi, a hulking totem that’s being brought to the city for an exhibit. Meanwhile, though, Jeanne has peskier problems: Jewels keep disappearing from various households in the city, thanks to Nico and an accomplice with four silent, velvet paws. A Cat in Paris is being released in the states in two versions, an English-language one (in which Marcia Gay Harden, Anjelica Huston and Matthew Modine provide some of the key voices) and a subtitled French one (which features, in the role of the nanny, the voice of actress Bernadette Lafont, who, for those who keep track of such things, played Marie in The Mother and the Whore ). If you’re bringing children and are lucky enough to have bilingual ones, I recommend the French version, since it is simply more French; to hear the English language pouring forth from these characters’ mouths feels just a little wrong. But the visuals of A Cat in Paris resonate in any language, and it doesn’t hurt that the picture features a stunning, stealthy Bernard Hermann-style orchestral score by Serge Bessett. (The music in A Cat in Paris is finer and more resonant than that of any live-action picture I’ve seen this year.) This is Felicioli and Gagnol’s first full-length feature — it was a 2012 Academy Award nominee — and it clocks in at a very trim but visually rich 70 minutes. The filmmakers’ drawings are both meticulous and highly stylized: They render the rooftops of Paris (what is it about city rooftops in general, and Paris rooftops in particular?) as a dusky, velvety patchwork, an invitation to adventure — they take great delight in the city’s highs and lows, in the contrast between tall and short. Their palette features an array of oranges, from muted citrus tones to deep sienna, and lots of deep, nighttime turquoise. And they dot the picture with small but inventive visual touches: When a character dons night goggles, the figures around him are rendered as stark white lines on a flat black surface. And the gargoyles of Notre Dame feature in the climactic chase sequence, a bit of travelogue whimsy that’s nonetheless dramatically gripping, perhaps even a little dizzying for those who are hinky about heights — it doesn’t matter that you can’t really fall off a cartoon building. And then there’s Dino, an utterly bewitching arrangement of orange and chocolate triangles (with a pink one for a nose). Dino isn’t a cute cartoon cat — there’s an element of mystery and devilishness about him, suggesting that Felicioli and Gagnol understand true feline spirit. They also understand feline loyalty, which is a contradiction in terms only to those who don’t understand (to the extent that understanding is possible) these elusive, magnetic creatures. Dino comforts the distressed Zoe by visiting her in bed, sliding under her arms as if he could pretend she’d never notice. And in a way, she doesn’t notice — somehow, suddenly, Dino is simply there , a presence who changes, only ever so slightly, the nature of the room around him. That’s the quiet province of cats everywhere — not just those who are lucky enough to live in the animated city of Paris. Follow Stephanie Zacharek on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .

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Anyone Wanna Buy the Scout Costume From Moonrise Kingdom?

Posted on May 31, 2012 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

It’s not quite Willy Wonka’s suit , and it should probably belong to the young actor who wore it onscreen, but it’s a good cause, so hey: “Focus Features is donating an original costume from its acclaimed new movie Moonrise Kingdom , directed by Wes Anderson, to Variety the Children’s Charity of New York for Variety New York’s online auction.” Read on for more from Focus’s announcement and the auction site CharityBuzz. First came the specifics from the studio [via press release]: The costume is the Khaki Scouts of North America uniform worn by 12-year-old Sam Shakusky (played by Jared Gilman) in Moonrise Kingdom . After consulting with the director, costume designer Kasia Walicka Maimone and her department created every single element of the uniform, including activity buttons and hand-sewn insignia patches. The gift from Mr. Anderson and the worldwide film company will help Variety New York raise funds to support its work in the tri-state area transforming the lives of children through the arts. And here’s exactly what you’d be bidding on, via CharityBuzz : This includes the Green Scout Shorts with Yellow Piping; Green Scout Shirt w/ Patches, Button, and Yellow Piping, and a Yellow Neckerchief. Terms : In condition as donated. Bidding commenced today and will continue through noon ET on June 13; the current high bidder has opted in at $125. A steal! For now. Good luck! [ CharityBuzz ]

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Anyone Wanna Buy the Scout Costume From Moonrise Kingdom?

Posted on May 31, 2012 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

It’s not quite Willy Wonka’s suit , and it should probably belong to the young actor who wore it onscreen, but it’s a good cause, so hey: “Focus Features is donating an original costume from its acclaimed new movie Moonrise Kingdom , directed by Wes Anderson, to Variety the Children’s Charity of New York for Variety New York’s online auction.” Read on for more from Focus’s announcement and the auction site CharityBuzz. First came the specifics from the studio [via press release]: The costume is the Khaki Scouts of North America uniform worn by 12-year-old Sam Shakusky (played by Jared Gilman) in Moonrise Kingdom . After consulting with the director, costume designer Kasia Walicka Maimone and her department created every single element of the uniform, including activity buttons and hand-sewn insignia patches. The gift from Mr. Anderson and the worldwide film company will help Variety New York raise funds to support its work in the tri-state area transforming the lives of children through the arts. And here’s exactly what you’d be bidding on, via CharityBuzz : This includes the Green Scout Shorts with Yellow Piping; Green Scout Shirt w/ Patches, Button, and Yellow Piping, and a Yellow Neckerchief. Terms : In condition as donated. Bidding commenced today and will continue through noon ET on June 13; the current high bidder has opted in at $125. A steal! For now. Good luck! [ CharityBuzz ]

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Anyone Wanna Buy the Scout Costume From Moonrise Kingdom?

Posted on May 31, 2012 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

It’s not quite Willy Wonka’s suit , and it should probably belong to the young actor who wore it onscreen, but it’s a good cause, so hey: “Focus Features is donating an original costume from its acclaimed new movie Moonrise Kingdom , directed by Wes Anderson, to Variety the Children’s Charity of New York for Variety New York’s online auction.” Read on for more from Focus’s announcement and the auction site CharityBuzz. First came the specifics from the studio [via press release]: The costume is the Khaki Scouts of North America uniform worn by 12-year-old Sam Shakusky (played by Jared Gilman) in Moonrise Kingdom . After consulting with the director, costume designer Kasia Walicka Maimone and her department created every single element of the uniform, including activity buttons and hand-sewn insignia patches. The gift from Mr. Anderson and the worldwide film company will help Variety New York raise funds to support its work in the tri-state area transforming the lives of children through the arts. And here’s exactly what you’d be bidding on, via CharityBuzz : This includes the Green Scout Shorts with Yellow Piping; Green Scout Shirt w/ Patches, Button, and Yellow Piping, and a Yellow Neckerchief. Terms : In condition as donated. Bidding commenced today and will continue through noon ET on June 13; the current high bidder has opted in at $125. A steal! For now. Good luck! [ CharityBuzz ]

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‘Moonrise Kingdom’ Record-Breaking Weekend: Experts Weigh In

Posted on May 29, 2012 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘The numbers were eye-popping. You’d think Iron Man was in the film,’ one box-office expert tells MTV News of new Wes Anderson film. By Fallon Prinzivalli Ed Norton in “Moonrise Kingdom” Photo: Focus Features As “Men in Black 3” knocked “Marvel’s The Avengers” off its record-breaking throne and nabbed the title of #1 film in America over Memorial Day weekend, Focus Features’ “Moonrise Kingdom” broke its own box-office records. The Wes Anderson -directed film, which opened in two theaters in New York and two in Los Angeles, grossed more than $669,000 this weekend. It raked in an average of $130,752 per location, setting a new record previously held by 2006’s “Dreamgirls.” “Wes Anderson films always open in limited release with very high averages as his fanbase is very loyal,” says Box Office Guru editor Gitesh Pandya , “but the ‘Moonrise Kingdom’ numbers were eye-popping. You’d think Iron Man was in the film.” Jeff Bock of Exhibitor Relations also attributes the success to Anderson’s “ardent” fanbase. “[His fans] have seen him produce just a handful of films over the course of his entire career, which began with 1996’s ‘Bottle Rocket.’ Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and ‘Moonrise Kingdom’ is Anderson’s first live-action film in five years, so there was no doubt a burning desire to see his latest whimsical dramedy,” he says. “Filmmakers with unique and authentic voices are far and few between, and Anderson is something of a national treasure for the hipster collective.” “Moonrise Kingdom” takes place in the summer of 1965 and follows the search for two 12-year-olds who flee their hometown in New England for a wilderness adventure. The film’s success follows its debut in Cannes, France , where it opened the city’s famous film festival. Bock believes its premiere at such a large venue contributed to the buzz, keeping it in the mind of audiences — despite an influx of blockbusters hitting cinemas around the globe. “There is always room for a small, original tale amongst the blockbuster giants of summer, and ‘Moonrise Kingdom’ may just be this summer’s ‘Midnight in Paris,’ ” he said, referencing the Woody Allen film that won him an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. “The big test for [‘Moonrise’] will be when it debuts in moderate wide release (400-plus theaters), reaching smaller markets that probably haven’t seen a film of his since his biggest hit, 2001’s ‘The Royal Tenenbaums,’ which grossed $52 million. While Anderson’s films are revered by critics and cinephiles, wide audiences haven’t exactly embraced the kooky sensibilities and eccentric outlook he emotes in his films.” But Phil Contrino of BoxOffice.com believes an A-list cast including Bruce Willis, Bill Murray, Edward Norton and Tilda Swinton will help bring the film to a broader audience — though he does think widespread popularity may be limited. “If you don’t like Wes by now, this movie won’t change your mind,” Contrino said. “He’s burrowed very deep into his own style eccentricities.” “Moonrise Kingdom” was too late to earn any Movie Awards nominations at this year’s show, but tune in this Sunday at 9 p.m. ET to celebrate your other favorite films, including “Hunger Games,” “Bridesmaids” and the final “Harry Potter” film. Head over to MovieAwards.MTV.com to vote for your favorite flicks now! The 21st annual MTV Movie Awards air live this Sunday, June 3, at 9 p.m. ET.

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Moonrise Kingdom Shatters Specialty Record with $523,000

Posted on May 29, 2012 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

It’s not just the superheroes who are toppling box-office records this summer: Check out the opening for Wes Anderson ‘s Moonrise Kingdom , which pulled in $523,000 over the weekend — on four screens . Its $130,750 per-theater average represents a new standard for limited live-action releases, besting Dreamgirls ‘s $126,316 from 2006. ( Moonrise ‘s four-day holiday total reached $669,000.) Hats off as well to The Weinstein Company’s The Intouchables , no slouch itself with around $26,000 per screen for the three-day frame. Champagne for all! [ Deadline ]

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Wes Anderson on the Fantasy of Moonrise Kingdom — and the Myth of His ‘MO’

Posted on May 25, 2012 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

A week and a half after its world premiere kicked off the 65th Cannes Film Festival, Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom arrives Stateside this weekend in limited release. Starring Edward Norton, Bruce Willis, Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton, Frances McDormand, Jason Schwartzman and Bob Balaban, acting novices Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward steal the show kids on the cusp of their teens who fall in love on an island off New England in 1965. To stay together, the couple make a pact to make a dash for the wilderness, but the authorities are on their trail. Movieline caught up with Anderson, who gave his insight on young love, how he cast two newcomers in the lead roles, not rehearsing a first kiss and why he wishes Moonrise Kingdom had been like his adolescence. You’ve worked with Bill Murray and Jason Schwartzman before, while Edward Norton, Frances McDormand and Bruce Willis are new to Wes Anderson movies. What made you decide which characters they should play in this film? Yes, yes, Bill I’ve worked with so many times. If I can convince him to be in a movie, it always makes me happy. I liked the idea of him and Frances McDormand together. I thought that they seemed like they’d have great chemistry, you know? She’s great. And Edward Norton, I had this feeling he could be like somebody in a Norman Rockwell painting. Bruce Willis, I thought that it would be nice to use his persona a bit, and the character is itself sort of unlike what he usually is [in his roles], but he’s still a policeman. And Tilda Swinton is someone who I have loved since the very beginning of her career in movies, and so this was my chance to have her. I also thought she seemed like she could be Deborah Kerr or something in this part. Did Norman Rockwell inform your aesthetic for Moonrise Kingdom ? Yes, sort of. I mean, I guess I didn’t spend a lot of time looking at Norman Rockwell pictures, but I had this feeling about the world of scouting. There are a lot of Norman Rockwell scouting images. You mentioned that this film isn’t autobiographical, but you said something along the lines that it’s what you wish your adolescence had been like. Can you elaborate a bit? I think it was just sort of… Well, someone asked me if the movie was a fantasy, and yeah. I think that’s right. I think that’s exactly what it is. So, it’s an autobiography about something that didn’t happen. Why did you decide to go with newcomers to acting for the main two roles of the children who fall in love? Well, I didn’t make a conscious decision about it. I just sort of said, “Well, let’s see what happens.” It wasn’t like there was some kid out there who I specifically wanted for this, but I said “Let’s look at everybody.” And these ended up being the ones who just seemed right for the characters. Did you have an image in your mind of what you wanted the kids personas to be like? Perhaps a nerdish or alpha-male or anything that fit an image in your mind about the kids? Not really. I knew the Sam character would need to be an outsider and that Suzie would need express an anger. The kid in the Scout troop who is sort of the bully of the group, his name is Redford. And I thought that he needs to look like [Robert] Redford. But many of the other kids could have been anyone. How did you work with the kids in helping them to get to know their characters? I rehearsed for a long time. By doing that a lot they really got to know the script and to feel comfortable with their characters. Whatever happened [along the way] if there were distractions going on around them, they’d still be able to do their scenes — they wouldn’t be thrown off. I read that there was one particular scene, however, that you purposely didn’t want (Jared Gilman) and (Kara Hayward) to rehearse. They hadn’t met before this film. They’d never had their first kiss – literally in their lives [as well]. So I decided to put that aside and we made that our last scene filming. We didn’t want to think about it too much and let it just happen naturally even if it was awkward, you know? That’s OK. Do you think children have a certain wisdom that is somehow lost as they get older? Well, I think they have — or often have — a certain clarity. They often know what they want. They don’t have wisdom, but have a purity with how they express themselves and how they proceed that can be an advantage — a big advantage. In Moonrise Kingdom , they’re not really making great decisions but they do know what they want. And for all the adults around them, it’s much more murky territory. I think sometimes having wisdom makes things more confusing. If you start to say, “I can picture what the other guy feels about this,” and then you might say, “Man, I’m not so sure if I’m right. And do I want what I want and how am I going to feel when this happens?” In the past I’ve been through this, and kids aren’t thinking like that. These kids, I don’t think they have given much thought to what their next step will be. They know the one step they’re going to take now, but they don’t really necessarily know the two steps. Discussing your film with someone, that person said he thought there were symbols in Moonrise Kingdom that perhaps signified a new direction for you – or that you are perhaps gearing up to move into a new direction vs the style you’ve developed in your previous work. Is there any truth to that? The thing is for me, I don’t really see what my MO is. But I know that every time I start on a movie I feel like I’m doing something different. I mean, I feel like [perhaps] now I’m in India doing a movie on a train about two brothers, and then I’m doing an animated movie with little puppets and you know, and then I made a movie in America for the first time in 10 years and it’s about first love.  And for me this movie is different — it has its own MO. I am certainly aware that there are links between my movies, and I have a kind of something that is consistent and people can recognize these things. But really, for me, that’s like my handwriting and it’s not something that I contemplate so much. It’s just my sort of own way that I developed, how I feel I can do movies. I would doubt that a movie I’m making contains a suggestion of what I’m going to do next or contains a deliberate statement or link to anything else I’ve ever done before. So tell me about the time period in Moonrise Kingdom . You picked 1965, but could this have taken place in 1995 or 2005? I think it might have, yeah. But I picked that time because, you know, I think it feels like a more innocent time. And then these kids are going to be 18 in five or so years and they’ll be living in a very different world. Yeah, yes. How have you found audiences approach your films on this side of the Atlantic vs the U.S.? An audience is really a whole bunch of different people who are wanting something different. But I know you can observe different things. I would relate French moviegoers close to Canadian moviegoers. They have a particularly avid sort of old-fashioned approach to movies in which they go to often. There’s this public belief and respect for movies that I Iove and I share. In America, everything is sort of faster and much bigger. The machine of promotion for films is giant, so there’s a different energy to it. But in places like New York, you can go to the Walter Reade Theatre or Film Forum and they’re also filled with movie lovers. Read more of Movieline’s Cannes 2012 coverage here .

Excerpt from:
Wes Anderson on the Fantasy of Moonrise Kingdom — and the Myth of His ‘MO’

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