Moonrise Kingdom - From Manhattan With Love: Saving Harrisburg's Midtown Cinema

MOONRISE KINGDOM, now playing
at Midtown Cinema

As an avid moviegoer and a small town Pennsylvanian, it's so difficult to see some of the great indie films in theaters. I don't mind driving to the city and I do so often, but it's usually to see Broadway or Off-Broadway shows, not film. To quench my indie-thirst, I travel a mere 50 minutes to Harrisburg, PA where one of the best independent theaters calls home. "Quaint" doesn't do this cinema justice. I've been to many indie houses across the country and Midtown Cinema is the best. Plus, for someone living in PA, it's one of the only theaters besides Philly or Pittsburgh that offer great, intriguing, art house films. 

Living in New York City for the summer, I've decided to do my part and help out Harrisburg's Midtown Cinema by reviewing each film that is released there before it's released. (Go to www.midtowncinema.com for more details on why they're struggling and how we can keep this important theater in central Pennsylvania). 

I've been reviewing films for nine years now (in college and on this blog) and while sometimes I fall behind in actually writing a review, I hope you trust my judgement, or at least go to Midtown Cinema to see for yourself how important it is to save this theater. 

Kara Hayward & Jared Gilman
in MOONRISE KINGDOM

MOONRISE KINGDOM - now playing at MC

Written and directed by Wes Anderson

Starring Jared Gilman, Kara Hayward, Bruce Willis, Bill Murray, Edward Norton, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, Harvey Keitel & Jason Schwartzman

Let me just be frank about the latest Wes Anderson film: it is the best movie of 2012 so far. There are absolutely no reasons why you shouldn't see this film not just once but four to eight times. So to break away from the typical paragraph review, I'd like to present listed reasons as to why this is the most important film for you to see in theaters.

• If You Weren't a Wes Anderson Fan Before, You Will Be Now - Out of all seven of Anderson's movies, Moonrise Kingdom is the best in style, writing, acting, and drama. Is it my favorite? Not yet (my personal favorite is The Darjeeling Limited); that takes time and over twenty views, but I am confident to say it is his best. Of course the film boasts hilarious and pained performances by the well-knowns (particularly Willis, Murray, Norton, and McDormand), but Anderson and his casting staff have discovered two of the most believable, lovable, and intelligent young actors out there: Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward. They're almost like your everyman/woman but in a twelve year old's body. They capture the you you were at their age. Being weird or in love or bullied or believing in something or just wanting to run away, these two gifted actors create something true in the characters of Sam and Suzy.
• The Instragram Generation - In a digital world in which we can't take a bite of our dinner before taking a picture with our iPhones, choosing the perfect filter ("I wonder if Hefe is a better choice than Walden"), and uploading it to Instagram, Moonrise Kingdom fulfills the need to be nostalgic; it actually radiates with longing for the past, to be young, almost in a Peter Pan mode of thought. And the irony in the film is while we, the audience, wish to be in Sam and Suzy's world, Sam and Suzy wish to be in ours, where you can love whomever you wish without parents pulling you away. Anderson also doesn't forget that this is a memory story; many of the scenes and intricacies - such as the tree house and the lightning incident - are realized in a heightened, exaggerated way because this is nostalgia and nostalgia emphasizes to seem more important and less sad. So, we gain so much humor through Anderson's reminiscent point of view.



Young actor Jared Gilman and writer/director
Wes Anderson

• Wes Anderson Is Our Woody Allen - What's so great about going to the Midtown Cinema to see Moonrise Kingdom is that you can hop on over for a double feature of Woody Allen's latest film, To Rome With Love (a review to come). But even though Woody is still busting out great flicks, I've always wanted to know what it was like to go to a movie theater in New York City to see some of his earlier masterpieces, like Annie Hall, Manhattan, or Hannah and Her Sisters - to have conversations about these films as they are just released and to now have the claim that I saw Manhattan in the theaters back in 1979. I was lucky enough to stumble upon a screening of Annie Hall a few weeks ago here in New York, and I was overwhelmed with joy to be able to share that film with a community; but it still isn't the same as living in that moment. For an audience of 2012, Wes Anderson is our Woody Allen of the 1970s, and he is showing us growth as a filmmaker in the last seven movies. I think it will be so important to say in twenty years that you saw Moonrise Kingdom in the theaters, to have a real experience with it. These experiences is what cultures us. In twenty years or so, when Anderson reaches two dozen films, it's going to be the early ones that will be longed for, just as I long for Manhattan and Hannah. Go see this movie while you still can. 

Click here for more information and the trailer to Moonrise Kingdom, now playing at Midtown Cinema in Harrisburg, PA.

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story

Starring John C. Reilly, Jenna Fischer & Kristen Wiig

"Knocked Up," "Superbad," and "Walk Hard" are the trio of films produced by Judd Apatow (he also wrote "Knocked Up" & "Walk Hard" and directed the first). So, in a year of Apatow, a closer examination of the three will bring us a review of the last: "Walk Hard." "Knocked Up" brought us laugh after laugh of showing us humor. "Superbad" was all about ridiculous dialogue. While "Walk Hard" knocks off the biopics, giving us both physical and dialogue humor. However, it wasn't as good as either of the summer hits, and why it's nominated for a Golden Globe is beyond me.

It's lead man, John C. Reilly, put so much of himself into the character of Dewey Cox that it was both hilarious and too much all at the same time. Now, don't get me wrong - I laughed a lot during "Walk Hard," but in retrospect, I can't really remember why. Nothing sticks with the film. It's too elongated in time (not the running time) and covers too much history to feel right.

Other than Reilly, my favorite performance was Kristen Wiig as Edith, Dewey's first wife. Creating a comedic side to the infringed wife of Johnny Cash in "Walk the Line," Wiig brings true absurdity to her disheveled life with Cox. She's the only supporting performer that is both funny and true to the role. Wiig and Reilly relate stupidity to reality. Jenna Fischer, on the other hand, is just trying to have fun, but grounds herself in an amateur performance. But she's still super hot.

All in all, "Walk Hard" was a funny, ridiculous epic biopic tracking the life of Dewey Cox: made up rock star. Oh, it has a descent soundtrack (I guess) and The Beatles scene in India is the best part of the film, thanks to George (Justin Long), Paul (Jack Black), Ringo (Jason Schwartzman) and Mr. John Lennon (Paul Rudd).

Grade: B-