"What is wrong with you!" screams an exasperated Catherine Keener as Max's Mom. Wild Max (Max Records) goes off crossing the line biting his Mom, after an upset over her boyfriend (Mark Ruffalo). Max is not having a great day. Loner Max has his igloo crushed by his sister Claire's (Pepita Emmerichs) friends, while he is hiding within. All he wants is to be included in Claire's life. Max's parents are divorced. Max runs away dressed in his furry wild wolf costume. He boards a sailboat on the river, and sails out to sea. He lands on an island of monsters, "Where the Wild Things Are."
Director and Writer Spike Jonze ("Being John Malkovich"), and Screenwriter Dave Eggers's "Where the Wild Things Are" is amazing and surprisingly touching. "Where the Wild Things Are" is based on the beloved 1963 children's book by Maurice Sendak, who is also the Producer. The illustrated children's book is 300 plus words long. Jonze and Eggers masterfully create a 100 minute feature movie from that. I did not remember reading the book, though thumbed through the picture book as a kid. Jonze and Eggers generate from the modern broken family dynamic. On the island, Max becomes King of the Wild Things. The movie is also unexpectedly dark, particularly with the manifestation of lead monster Carol (awesome James Gandolfini). Carol seems always on the verge of postal.
On the island the monsters seems reminiscent of Max's family. Compassionate K.W. (gently powerful Lauren Ambrose) maybe Max's Mom. K.W. and Max have a quiet touching conversation about family. Max confesses, "I have one of those " I began to think that Carol (Gandolfini) represented Max's estranged father or is he Max? K.W. and Carol had a past relationship. Hiding Max from Carol, K.W. admits that she doesn't know why Carol is so angry. In catharsis, Max says, "He's just scared " Anger is just fear with bravado. There is a great moment where Max and Carol roar, "Roo!" Is it wild or just sadness and regret? Max just wants to have a family. Life happens, and it is not always what we want. And life goes on.
"Where the Wild Things Are" is visually spectacular with creatures in the forest and desert. And the cast includes the amazing voice talents of Forest Whitaker and Catherine O'Hara. "Where the Wild Things Are" is one of the best movies of the year for it's touching storytelling and eloquence, reminding us to let go our fear and that life goes on.
Director and Writer Spike Jonze ("Being John Malkovich"), and Screenwriter Dave Eggers's "Where the Wild Things Are" is amazing and surprisingly touching. "Where the Wild Things Are" is based on the beloved 1963 children's book by Maurice Sendak, who is also the Producer. The illustrated children's book is 300 plus words long. Jonze and Eggers masterfully create a 100 minute feature movie from that. I did not remember reading the book, though thumbed through the picture book as a kid. Jonze and Eggers generate from the modern broken family dynamic. On the island, Max becomes King of the Wild Things. The movie is also unexpectedly dark, particularly with the manifestation of lead monster Carol (awesome James Gandolfini). Carol seems always on the verge of postal.
On the island the monsters seems reminiscent of Max's family. Compassionate K.W. (gently powerful Lauren Ambrose) maybe Max's Mom. K.W. and Max have a quiet touching conversation about family. Max confesses, "I have one of those " I began to think that Carol (Gandolfini) represented Max's estranged father or is he Max? K.W. and Carol had a past relationship. Hiding Max from Carol, K.W. admits that she doesn't know why Carol is so angry. In catharsis, Max says, "He's just scared " Anger is just fear with bravado. There is a great moment where Max and Carol roar, "Roo!" Is it wild or just sadness and regret? Max just wants to have a family. Life happens, and it is not always what we want. And life goes on.
"Where the Wild Things Are" is visually spectacular with creatures in the forest and desert. And the cast includes the amazing voice talents of Forest Whitaker and Catherine O'Hara. "Where the Wild Things Are" is one of the best movies of the year for it's touching storytelling and eloquence, reminding us to let go our fear and that life goes on.