Moonrise Kingdom
By Howard McQuitter
Moonrise Kingdom
*****
Focus Features
Cast: Bruce Willis (Captain Sharp), Ed Norton (Scout Master Ward), Bill Murray (Walt Bishop), Tilda Swinton (Social services), Jason Schwartzman (Cousin Ben), Jared Gilman (Sam), Harvey Keital (Commander Pierce), L.J. Foley (Izol), Jake Ryan (Lionel), Neal Huff (Jed), Charie Kilgore (Lazy Eye), Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick (Roosevelt), Kara Hayward (Suzy). Running time:94 minutes. Director: Wes Anderson.
Wes Anderson”'s “Moonrise Kingdom” is a shinning star of a film that is catching audiences like bees to honey. He”'s the director of “Rushmore” “The Royal Tenenbaums” and “Fantastic Mr. Fox.” “Moonrise Kingdom” is clever, simple on some levels, complex in all others.
The setting is circa 1965, at a Boy Scouts camp on an island close to town in New England. Sam (Jared Gilman) decides he”'s not interested in his troop although he likes being a scout. Rather than stay to be bored or irritable, or both, he leaves the camp meeting with Suzy (Kara Hayward, a girl about his age, psychologically scarred by her parents Walt (Bill Murray) and Laura (Frances McDormant) Bishop, whom for ever reasons are miserable. Sam is a foster child but do not think the film goes schmaltzy on you.
The troop goes out looking for Sam but when they find him the lad refuses to come back to the camp. It”'s the scout master ward (Ed Norton) who seems to be too easy going. What”'s more, a terrible storm comes up suddenly causing the characters to run for higher ground. Arguably the most soothing film of the summer with a stellar cast. The center of the film is on Sam and Suzy finding puppy love awkward and adventure through on the island an experience to remember.
We Have a Pope / Habemus Papam
Sacher Film Comedy/Drama
Cast: Michel Piccoli (Il papa), Jerry Stuhr (Il portavoce), Renato Scarpa (Cardinal Gregon), Franco Graziosi (Cardinal Bollatin), Camillo Milli (Cardinal Pescardona), Roberto Nobile (Cardinal Cevasco), Ulrich von Dobschiitz (Cardinal Brummer), Gianluce Gobbi (Guardia svizzera). Not Rated. Running time:102 minutes. Countries: Italy/France. Languages: Italian, German, Latin, English, Spanish, Polish, French. Director: Nan-i ni Moretti.
“Habemus Papem!” (“We Have a Pope”) is shouted from Vatican Square when the new pope stands in his window and sees thousands of faithful spread out like ants as far as the eye can see. Before the Roman Catholic world sees thee new pope, the College of Cardinals are in conclave”“complete secrecy is mandatory”“voting for the papal successor.
But in director Nanni Morett”'s “We Have a Pope!”, a film filled rutilant drama and a bashment humor, Cardinal Melville (French actor Michel Piccoli) is elected pope to his surprise and embarrassment.
He panics soon after he puts on the white zucchetto and other papal attire. Instead of standing in the window to address the crowds (including priests, nuns, seminarians, etc.) he rushes pass his awaiting cardinals to an adjacent room. He feels overwhelmed and inadequate as a pontiff leaving his cardinals bewildered eventually leaving one billion Catholics bewildered from not seeing the new pope from the window.
Reluctantly the cardinals agree to allow a famous, non-believing psychoanalyst (Nanni Moretti) to treat the pope without the outside world”'s knowledge. The psychoanalyst fails arguably in part because the pontiff leaves the Vatican dresses in civvies. He merges into the Italian passerby indistinguishable from them.
Mr. Moretti”'s awareness of authentic ecclesiastical garb and architecture is much appreciated for the effort he makes us feel we”'re witnessing an actual papal conclave with a real pope emerging only to retreat from his actual duties.
Because Il papa has disappeared out of sight from those supposedly watching him, the cardinals are still trapped inside the Vatican. To keep from boredom, the cardinals divide up by continents to play volleyball. Their competition among them looks fun as cardinals (not in the games or are waiting their turns), priests,nuns and religious brothers look on cheering on the sidelines.
“I do not want to be pope! “Melville makes clear in the film perhaps reminiscent of a real-life Benedictine monk elected as Pope Celestine V(1215-1296),a conclave lasting two years, never wants to be pope anyway and resigns after five months into his papacy.
Back 26 years ago, Robert M. Young directed a film called “Saving Grace” with a similar theme: Tom Conti as Pope Leo XIV too busy at first for the average person accidentally gets locked of the Vatican heads for the villages nearby and meets a number of characters.
Moretti, to his credit, stays away from mean-spirited towards Catholicism disappointing some secular critics.
