Where the Wild Things Are (2009)

[randy_byers]

Saw this with holyoutlaw at the Majestic Bay last night (after dinner at Hattie's Hat, yum). I thought it did a great job of exploring a child's internal emotional landscape. It's all from the boy's point of view, even the framing scenes in the real world. The Wild Things themselves behave like children. The story switches moods as quickly as a child.

The production design really is great, as others have said. The Wild Things have real character, as does the world they inhabit. It isn't a slavish attempt to mimic Sendak's style, but it captures the spirit of his style.

I didn't read the book as a child, so I don't have that kind of connection to it. I read it as an adult, and I was curious how they would expand the story for a feature length film. From memory, I'd say they took it deeper into issues of power and powerlessness, creativity and destruction. The ending has a nice impish quality amidst the tears. This story is resolved, but there's still a lot of growing up to do.

Comments

[kalimac.livejournal.com]

Haven't seen this one yet, but your note "The story switches moods as quickly as a child" intrigues me. One thing that irritated and puzzled me as a child was stories (books, films) which switch moods for reasons undiscernible or illogical to me. This bothers me less now, but only because I can discern more as an adult than I could as a child. When children change moods suddenly, they do so for what they consider good and sufficient reasons (even if it seems puzzling to their parents), not randomly or capriciously.

[randy-byers.livejournal.com]

I'm thinking less of the reasons for the switches than the fact that children seem to be able to go from one mood to another very quickly, perhaps because they don't fight to control their feelings. This movie is very much in tune with the mercurial nature of emotion. I'm not sure if it would strike you as random or capricious.

[gerisullivan.livejournal.com]

Sounds well worth seeing. I'm pleased to read the movie has depth, and the story resolved/still a lot of growing up to do aspect of the ending sounds absolutely perfect.

[randy-byers.livejournal.com]

I believe the monkey would feel very much at home with the Wild Things.

[kdotdammit.livejournal.com]

I really loved it. Just wrote my review (which needs an edit before I send it to Counterpunch). I'm anxious that I'm going to get a lot of flack for my perspective. I saw it as a much more "adult" view of childhood.

[randy-byers.livejournal.com]

The reactions/reviews I'm seeing are all over the place, so it seems to be a bit of a Rorschach test. I was sitting next to three kids last night, and as the lights came up one of the girls was crying and smiling at the same time. The older girl said, "Water is pouring out of your face!"

[holyoutlaw.livejournal.com]

One of my Facebook friends said she thought the monsters were whiny, middle-aged people. Hah! (To which I thought, gee, thanks, now get offa my lawn!)

I'm glad to hear you liked it as well. And I see KDD has writ up a big post about it, which I also look forward to reading.

[randy-byers.livejournal.com]

That's very interesting. To me the Wild Things sounded like bickering children, and their emotional responses were on the same level as Max's. However, that's not saying that middle-aged people aren't childish! (And of course the Wild Things are voiced by middle-aged actors.)