Lanewatch

Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Ed Norton and Bruce Willis in Moonrise Kingdom

Anthony Lane's review of Wes Anderson's Moonrise Kingdom in The New Yorker reminds me that I left out one of his favorite references in my previous posting about him. In addition to Shakespeare, Dickens, 007, royalty, Harry Potter, Lewis Carroll, J.R.R. Tolkien and something European (non-British, often French), this British film critic also likes to reference J.M. Barrie, as he does in the Moonrise Kingdom review. (I also forgot to put Sherlock Holmes on the list, for an even 10.) In addition, his review carries a subtle reference to Shakespeare (the word "tempest" seems carefully chosen for its literary association), as well as to fellow Brits Roald Dahl and Frances Hodgson Burnett. He cites British composer Benjamin Britten, but I guess I have to give him that one: Britten's work is apparently an important element in Moonrise Kingdom.