Spike Jonze has always been an interesting, challenging director. So it comes as no surprise that he would take even a children’s movie seriously, and avoid the condescending tone that most movies directed towards children have today. That said, “Where the Wild Things Are” is not so much a film for children so much as it is a film about children. How they feel, why they feel that way, and how these emotions impact their actions. The film treats its audience, regardless of age, as intellectual equals to itself, and I think it will succeed in establishing a rapport with younger children who usually aren’t engaged at the movies.
“Where the Wild Things Are” is inspired by Maurice Sendak’s book of the same name. Sendak’s book is a sentimental favorite from many people’s childhoods, and I suspect the film will have the nostalgic appeal that only a story from one’s youth can. It is a simple, sweet story about a boy named Max, portrayed very well by newcomer Max Records. One day, Max is playing outside in a new snow fort which he has built for himself. He has no real friends to speak of, but his imagination is such that he doesn’t really need anyone else to play with. When Max does make an effort to reach out to his older sister and her friends, it results in Max’s humiliation.
Jonze does a wonderful job of capturing images of a child at play. Simple, quiet moments are particularly well rendered. Likewise, the relationship between Max and his mother, played by the spectacular Catherine Keener, is not overdone. It is a relationship of quiet, subtle understanding. Indeed, the movie as a whole understands Max and what he is feeling. It captures wonderfully the sudden and drastic shifts in mood that a child of that age can feel. In the film’s most poignant scene, an enraged Max destroys a gift he had made for his sister. Once his anger passes, we see Max sit quietly amongst the broken pieces, heartbroken by what he has just done.
After a fight with his mother, Max runs off, both from his home and within his imagination. Suddenly he is in his own world, surrounded by strange creatures who tower over him. One of these Wild Things, Carol, voiced by James Gandolfini, particularly embodies Max’s emotional turmoil. Max establishes himself as their ruler, and the group goes off in search of adventure, fun, and happiness.
In terms of visual spectacle, “Where the Wild Things Are” is a resounding success. Credit cinematographer Lance Acord for exciting visuals and beautiful scenery. Max’s imaginary companions, likewise, are very well done. A combination of animatronics, puppetry and CGI makes very believable creatures for Max to interact with. Watching a small child, accompanied by six lumbering giants, run around a rocky coast at sunset is an enjoyable experience, and it’s impossible not to smile at it.
Where the film is lacking, however, is in its development of the characters. While the Wild Things are well crafted, they’re sort of bland. They all tended to blur together in my mind, and the dramatic soap opera which ensues between them doesn’t work at all. There are long stretches of the film that drag on and add nothing to the story. Even joyful moments, such as when Max and his friends engage in a dirt clod fight, tend to go on too long, and the film as a whole seems agonizingly drawn out. The movie seems to lack any sense of awe and wonder that a child might have in such a land. Also, considering the limits of the world are that of Max’s imagination, there isn’t much in the way of location changes in the land of the Wild Things.
I would have liked to have seen a lot more of Max in the real world, interacting with his family, his schoolmates and his environment. Since his time in his imaginary world is so unsatisfying, the film falls very much into two parts. The result is an uneven movie, which possesses moments of beauty and brilliance, but which also fails to understand the point that its making. The ending is awkward and unnecessary. Too much of the time in Max’s mind is—dare I say it—boring. I have a certain affection for this film, to be sure, but there is no denying that, on the whole, it isn’t quite on par with certain great children’s films of recent years.
To read all of David’s reviews, visit his blog at http://davidsfilmreviews.blogspot.com
Dave and Kyle on the Aisle: Where the Wild Things Are (Dave's Review)
Published: Friday, October 30, 2009
Updated: Friday, October 30, 2009 02:10
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