An adaptation of the legendary children's picture book by Maurice Sendak by one of cinema's most exciting talents: Spike Jonze (Adaptation, Being John Malkovich).
Jonze employs live action and puppetry to flesh out the story that went something like this: Boy gets put to bed; boy sees jungle growing around his bed; boy meets strange monsters; boy dances around with monsters; boy returns to his bed.
The cast is also great: Catherine Keener (Being John Malkovich), Mark Ruffalo (Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind), plus the voice talents of James Gandolfini, Michelle Williams, Catherine O'Hara, Forrest Whitaker and Paul Dano. The young Max is played by newcomer Max Records.
A ten-sentence picture book from 1963 has inspired a 100-minute movie about the anxieties and loneliness of childhood. Thankfully, the lack of strong narrative makes way for a beautifully fragile and contemplative tone, under which lies very gentle humour and moments of inspired lunacy (wait until you meet Terry and Bob).
It’s hard to tell what kids will make of this languid fantasy. Instead, hipster–king director Spike Jonze (Adaptation, Being John Malkovich) seems to have adults in his sights, particularly those that still scribble monsters onto their guitar amps or worship musos Karen O and Deerhunter’s Bradford Cox (both feature on the wistful soundtrack).
Rustic production design and South Australian location photography transport us to the landscape of young Max’s psyche (nothing is spelled out as such but we are led to assume it). It’s a land of rocky canyons, sandy dunes, barren forests and vast oceans, nicely enhancing the theme of alienation.
The wild things themselves are amazingly expressive. Visually they are identical to the ones in the book, although they are given individual personalities. At the forefront is Carol (expertly voiced by James Gandolfini), a volatile but principled critter who takes a shine to Max.
Where the Wild Things Are is complex yet childishly simple, insightful yet puzzling. It’s hard to pick how this will go down with the casual filmgoer but I found it to be a completely unique vision, deeply moving and told from the heart.
By Andrew Hedley, Flicks.co.nz
I really loved the books as a child and the memories of what the creatures were really like sadly like many things what we adored as children sadly can not be recreated for us as adults still an alright movie but alas I must pass on only two stars from me
i think is a very dark movie that i would recommend scary
I found this movie quite disturbing. If I was a kid it would scare the sh.t out of me and give me nightmares. It reminded me of some sick nightmare world with very disturbed lunatic characters with many "issues". I did not like it at all.
worst movie possible! such a waste of my time!
I wondered how they would fit a 10 page book into a movie but they did it and did it well. I loved it an amazing storyline and the characters are awsome!
The movie felt long to me, and there were some stretches during which I was less than riveted. Is it possible that there wasn't enough Sendak story to justify a feature-length film?
Jonze has brought depth, melancholy and purpose to his film.
Where the film falters is Jonze and novelist Dave Eggers' adaptation, which fails to invest this world with strong emotions.
When faced as a director with the rudderless screenplay he (Jonze) co-wrote with Eggers, he's been powerless to energize it in any involving way. Sometimes you are better off with 10 sentences than tens of millions of dollars, and this is one of those times.
With Where the Wild Things Are Jonze has made a work of art that stands up to its source and, in some instances, surpasses it.
We've been told the NZ release date for this flick is Thursday, 3rd Dec 2009.
Release date: December 3rd 2009.
We haven't received times for this movie in this location yet. However these are updated as cinemas announce them, so check back soon. Hopefully the lovely cinemas in your location will choose to play it shortly. ~Ed.
