More an experience than a film, the beautiful fantasy WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE evokes distant memories of childhood with a dark and imaginative story deftly directed by Spike Jonez. The film opens with the credits running over scenes of a hyperactive kid in a wolf suit running wildly through his house. The boy with the active fantasy life is Max and the Wild Things become his subjects. This is not a children's film, WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE is, at its' heart, about what it's like to experience being a child.
WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE was adapted from the children’s book of the same name written by Brooklynite Maurice Sendak in 1963. The original book consists of some brilliant color drawings and exactly ten sentences. It tells the story of 9-year-old Max who was sent to his room by his Mom for being bad and what happens there. In this full length live action feature film the ante is upped. Max now bites his mom in the arm when she has her boyfriend over for dinner, dons his cute wolf suit, and then runs away from home through the night.
Max runs away because he’s feeling angry and misunderstood and doesn’t know how to handle his feelings. He runs outside and escapes through a fence and comes upon a sailboat. He sails away to an island somewhere in his imagination inhabited by an unhappy group of seven monsters called the Wild Things who are as dumb as cheese but wildly intuitive and unpredictable when it comes to their actions and feelings. The monsters all look like giant sports 
mascots created by Jim Henson, and while they are huge and certainly scary to anyone, they also exude a sad pathos that makes even Max care for them.
Spike Jonez stretched the story in the original book to fit a full length feature film with such clarity of purpose that for someone coming to the story for the first time, as I did, it didn't feel forced or false. At first it was a bit hard buying the mythos of the story and getting over the fact 
that you're watching giant Muppet-like sports mascots run wild and accept a 9-year-old as their king with magical powers after first considering him as their next meal. But Jonez does it with such an intuitively creative touch and deep feeling that it was easy to buy in.
When the Wild Things crown Max their king he promises to create a place where everyone will be happy. KW (the voice of Lauren Ambrose), a Wild Thing who has left the group due to grumpy Carol’s (voice of James Gandolfini) outbursts, returns to the group to see what's going on. When Max declares “Let the wild rumpus begin!” the Wild Things hurl themselves at trees, down hills, into the roofs of their thatched huts, and, along with Max, generally have a ball. They end the fun all jumbled up together in a giant ball of Wild Things fur.
It doesn't hurt that top talent like James Gandolfini, Catherine O'Hara, Forest Whitaker, Chris Cooper, and Paul Dano, play the Wild Things. Each of these top talents brings the heart of their characters to life using just their expressive voices. Each Wild Thing is an aspect of Max, or of yourself, if you are able to relate to the story.
Of all the characters, Max grows closest with Carol, who also runs wildly around destroying things as Max himself does at home, though both of them don't really understand their own behavior. Carol takes Max on a tour of their island - now Max’s kingdom - and shows Max a model Carol built of how he wishes their island would look like. Inspired by Carol's truly magical wooden model, Max 
orders the construction of the huge fort. KW is Carol’s sometime girlfriend, she tries to include her two owl friends Bob and Terry in the project, but another argument ensues due to Carol’s jealousy. Max’ssolution is to organize a dirt-clod fight to relieve the tension, but sensitive and insecure giant goat Alexander (the voice of Paul Dano) gets hurt causing more arguments so KW leaves the group again. Which, of course, sets Carol off again.
Max forms a personal connection with each of the monsters and soon realizes that he cannot make the Wild Things happy. Eventually, the truth comes out and the Wild Thingsrealize that Max is neither their king nor has magical powers. This makes Carol really angry; so angry that he accidentally rips off his best friend Douglas’ (Chris Cooper) arm off. Max gives him a branch to replace his arm. KW helps Max understand that life is difficult enough without someone throwing tantrums all the time. Max finally understands why his mother was so angry with him and prepares to leave the island.
Spike Jonez’ direction is thoughtful and sensitive, the cinematography is lush and layered, the CGI work to award-nomination standards, and the music is pure perfection.
Fiercely haunting and poignant, WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE will likely touch you in places you haven’t felt since you were a kid. This might not be a perfect film, but it certainly isone to be experienced, especially if you were once a child and have grown apart from who you thought you would become.
I loved this film so much I just had to include more pix for you all to enjoy!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ © 2009 by Digital Dogs~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Digital Dogs rating: A
MPAA rating: PG for mild thematic elements, some adventure action and brief language.
Running Times: 94 Minutes
Producers Jon Jashni, Thomas Tull, Bruce Berman, Tom Hanks, John Carls, Vincent Landay, Director Spike Jonze, Screenplay Spike Jonez, Dave Eggars, from the original book by Maurice Sendak, DP Lance Accord, Editor James Haygood, Eric Zumbrunnen, Music Carter Burwell, Karen Orolek, Actors Max Records, Catherine Keener, Mark Ruffalo, Lauren Ambrose, Chris Cooper, James Gandolfini, Paul Dano, Catherine O’Hara, Forest Whitaker, Micahel Berry Jr,
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| Digital Dogs, Gather Movies Correspondent - Los Angeles | ||||
Digital Dogs' column, HOLLYWOOD POV, published every Thursday to Gather Essentials: Movies is an insider's look at the art, people, and product of Hollywood. Digital Dogs is an opinionated writer, editor, and digital designer who lives and works in the Entertainment Capital of the world. DigiDogs' unique reviews are usually written well before a film's release date, and definitely worth the advance look at the films that influence the world. Keep up with Digital Dogs' movie review series by joining her network, or subscribing to her content. | ||||
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Comments: 18
I didn't have the book as a reference, and I'm always suspicious of pretension from someone whose name is "Spike Jonez" - but I found it to be one of those movies that have frames you've never seen before and perfectly plausible fantasy characters. It was a treat for me.
The last scene of the movie is almost perfect, and at the screening i was at - with lots of young kids - there was a long moment of silence before people started moving and talking. That's more of a testament than a standing O.
Spot-on review as always DD.
In an interview Sendak said he's been getting inquiries about making a movie for 18 years. But it wasn't until he met Spike Jonez that he felt like he had met someone who could take the story to the next level. He also said the young actor who plays Max, who coincidently is actually named Max could not have been more perfect. He said he met the kid and said "he IS Max."
At certain points in the film I knew with certainty that Jonez had recreated specific scenes from the book, they were that beautifully dark and imaginative and just plain artistic. Jonez' close friendship with Sendak obviously helped him channel Sendak's terse story and help find the perfect Max.
FYI. The book was quite contreversial being it was the early 1960's. It wasn't exactly considered pop lit.
And thanks for the response about Chas' feeling depressed after seeing this. I was trying to decide how to respond to him, because I felt he made a valid point. And while WILD THINGS didn't leave me feeling depressed I must admit there were many times during the film that my eyes leaked... certainly the first time KW says "will you make us happy?" to Max was s tearjerker moment for me. Isn't that what everyone wants out of life? To be happy?
But on the whole WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE left me thoughtful and introspective about life...and I think that's a good thing. Too many people today don't stop and think about life and what they're doing and how their actions are impacting others around them (witness all the idjits shouting into their cell phones in enclosed spaces like elevators, bathrooms & banks)...all lessons to be learned from WILD THINGS.