Yep.  That sure does look like a Wes Anderson movie.

The entire line-up for Cannes that's been announced so far has me damn near giddy, and as soon as they announced that the opening night film was going to be Wes Anderson's "Moonrise Kingdom," I made sure to book my travel so I'd be there for the kickoff.

I read about half this script, then stopped.  Not because it was bad, but because of the exact opposite.  I was having so much fun with it that I decided I'd rather just see it play out than read it and ruin it for myself.  The worlds that Wes Anderson creates in his films are so specific and visual and all-encompassing that it's impossible to really "read" one of his films ahead of time.  You have to see how the actors choose to inhabit the characters, and you have to see the details that he packs his frame with, and you have to hear the soundtracks he puts together.

I don't get it when people complain about the heightened reality that Anderson creates in his movies.  It seems to me that if you don't like directors with a strong signature style, you just should skip their films, not complain that they are so specific.  Anderson's absolutely got a signature that you can see as soon as something begins, and ever since "Bottle Rocket," he has been refining that style a little bit more with every movie.

It's not just visual, though.  It's also in the way his characters behave and speak.  In this exclusive clip that we're sharing with you today, courtesy of Focus Features, Jason Schwartzman plays Scout Master Ward, and he's dealing with Sam and Suzy, two kids who have run away to be together just as a storm is rolling into the island community where they live, sending their entire community into a tailspin.

I love that Wes Anderson's working with Roman Coppola, who should be working more.  I love the cast.  I love the look.  I can't wait to see this play out in France next month.  For now, this is a sweet little glimpse of what we can expect.

"Moonrise Kingdom" opens in US theaters May 25, 2012.

Drew McWeeny
Film Editor

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A respected critic and commentator for fifteen years, Drew McWeeny helped create the online film community as "Moriarty" at Ain't It Cool News, and now proudly leads two budding Film Nerds in their ongoing movie education.