CLEMENTINE'S REVIEWS

10th February 2010
Where the Wild Things Are (2009)

Director: Spike Jonze
Writer: Screenplay Spike Jonze & Dave Eggers; Original book - Maurice Sendak
Starring: Max Records, Catherine Keener, Mark Ruffalo, Lauren Ambrose, Chris Cooper, Jame Gandolfini, Catherine OHara, Forest Whitaker, Paul Dano

Almost everyone remembers reading the charming Where the Wild Things Are as a young child. Almost universally it is recalled with great fondness for the simple story and beautiful illustrations of a boy who is sent to bed without supper and sails away to the land of the Wild Things.

The thought of adapting such a beloved yet short childrens book into a movie had most people apprehensive until we saw the trailer. Possibly the most wonderful two minutes of trailer every produced, almost a short film in itself. Could it be? Could Spike Jonze have captured the essence of the book and made us yearn for our childhood? Or was the rest of the film a padded out corruption of our memories? We held our collective breaths.

And then we sighed in relief.

Max Records was brilliant as the disobedient Max: wild yet vulnerable, lonely yet present. The Wild Things as large muppets with animated faces were really tangible, they exist so strongly. It was a great choice to film in live action. Our sense of childhood is ignited with the visual motifs which in animation would have seemed too slick, too controlled. There was a sense of everything being chaotic. Max is constantly in danger of really hurting himself, but only in the way a child plays roughly with wild abandon and innocent disregard for safety. It is never safe, saccharin or pulls punches. When the Wild Things blow holes in houses and trees, this reflects Max's own destructive nature. Everything that happens to Max is a reflection of his life, the loneliness, looking for hope in a hopeless landscape, problems with no easy answers.

As a fan of Dave Eggers' stories, his work on the script was really apparent. The dialogue is so organic, idiosyncratic and funny. It is both easy and awkward, the simplest conversations and asides had me delighted and then sad. I felt Eggers was really talking to me.

I knew Lauren Ambrose was one of the voice actors and I kept listening out, was that her, or was that her? When I heard her speak it was instantly apparent. Ambrose is K.W., one of the mysterious Wild Things whose story we come into halfway, her temporary return to the group carries many unspoken questions. Ambrose's sombre voice and soft, affecting natural manner is pitch perfect for K.W. As a matter of fact, all the Wild Things have beautiful performances, acting and voicing. Their  movements carry both joy and sorrow, their computer animated faces portray such an impressive range of emotion. Many scenes are so physical I couldnt help wondering how the poor actors manage to perform them in such cumbersome costumes. Apparently these were even revised from the original designs which had all the actors toppling over.

I adored this one on every level. What a fantastic film, it is a journey which reminds many of us of the loneliness of childhood, delivered with sensitive storytelling.

Verdict: This will be polarising: those who want to feel deeply about being lonely will love it, those who want something happy and joyful will hate it. Not recommended for children. Where the Wild Things Are is a beautifully imaginative and mature tale about the complexities of loneliness, dysfunctional relationships, and what many will remember of the sadness of being child.

Read Alaris' review of Where the Wild Things Are (2009).