




A visionary director, with two original films to his credit ("Being John Malkovich" and "Adaptation"), Spike Jonze adds another distinctive panel to his slowly growing oeuvre with "Where Wild Things Are," an enchanting adaptation of Maurice Sendak's classic book of the same title.
Quite audaciously, Jonze and Eggers have taken a captivating novel, known for his brevity (20 pages) and precision (10 sentences), and have expanded it to a full-length drama. End result is an eccentric, deliberately paced feature that doesn't look like any other children's tale (or any other film, for that matter), but is more visually than dramatically compelling. "Where Wild Things Are" is not consistently engaging from an emotional standpoint, leaving plenty of time for the viewers to ponder about what they're seeing. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but in today's climate of watching movies, the practice is almost non-existent.
At its good parts, which are plentiful, "Where the Wild Things Are" offers a fresh look at the many facets of childhood, particularly the tough ones, the isolation and loneliness, the inability to communicate with a parent and sibling.
Ultimately, "Where Wild Things Are" records Max's steps toward growing up, and acquiring self-awareness, as he gains knowledge and becomes conscious of the complex relationships the individual Wild Things have with each other and with him. Told with honesty from a child's point of view, "Where the Wild Things Are" reveals Max's increasing understanding of his own feelings and the feelings of others.
End Note
Mom – Catherine Keener
Boyfriend – Mark Ruffalo
KW – Lauren Ambrose
Douglas – Chris Cooper
Carol – James Gandolfini
Judith – Catherine O'Hara
Ira – Forest Whitaker
Alexander – Paul Dano
Camera, Lance Acord.
Running time: 101 Minutes