Screening Room - Where the Wild Things Are

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Screening Room - Where the Wild Things Are
Written by Craig Younkin

Rating - 3 / 4

Maurice Sendak gets "Spiked" in this wild, heartfelt rumpus. Spike Jonze again proves himself a director of great style, taking Sendak's "Where the Wild Things Are" and giving it texture, dimension, and sincerity. Max Records plays Max, complete with wolf costume. Lonely Max is an aggressive kid who for the most part channels his energies into imagination, fort-building, and trying to capture the attention of his neglectful sister and working single mom (Catherine Keener). Sometimes it boils over into anger, like when he pisses mom off and then runs from the house and to a little boat that seems to be waiting just for him. Battling rough tide, Max finds an island filled with monstrous creatures. At first they want to eat him, but after posturing himself as Viking- killer (among other funny, sweet lies), the creatures accept him as king. He promises perfection (even building a city) and togetherness, but both come harder than expected.

A big kudos to all the design people. The creatures are really impressive, showing emotion and taking on a more lovable, touching, and, at times, ferociously scary personality than the book ever could. They're basically over-sized animals (a bull, cat, parrot, ram, rhino, and lion just to name a few) but their emotions are very human, and since they're the products of Max's imagination, they should be. They deal with loneliness, fear, jealousy, temper-tantrums, and low self-esteem, and with relationships and life as children often would. There are dangerous moments for Max (meeting the wild things for the first time, the thrilling battle through rough tide), but they are always offset by a movingly told story of how we mask our fears and worries in childishness. Providing creature voices, Catherine O' Hara as the loud-mouth and antagonistic Judith, James Gandolfini as the enthusiastic, hot-headed, and insecure Carol(who Max relates to most of all), Lauren Ambrose as the friendly but independent KW (she wants to leave the herd, much to Carol's dismay, cause he loves her), Forrest Whittaker as simple-minded Ira, Chris Cooper as the reasonable Douglas, and Paul Dano as the soft-spoken Alexander are all fantastic. And Max Records gives a tough, exuberantly untamed performance that also finds Max's vulnerability.

Jonze also creates a playful and exhilarating film, filled with wild wrestling-matches, mud fights, funny gags (Bob and Terry are a hoot), even funnier lines ("I think you did the right thing by not stepping on her head Carol"), and perfectly themed music over brilliant scenery. "Wild Things" feels drawn-out occasionally but in the end you want to hug these characters, and in the way Jonze brings this to life, you almost think you could.

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