THE GOOD...
1. It's about what happens when you find a family, lose it through your own selfishness and then, finally, after the dust has settled (in this movie there's literally a desert) realise for the first time in your life that the world doesn't necessarily revolve around you... Spike Jonze's thoughtful, nostalgic, terrifying adaptation of Maurice Sendak's timeless childhood tale evokes the sheer, gut-wrenching trauma of growing up unlike any film in recent memory....it's as much about making dens and sleeping together in a big pile as it is about what happens when you tear familes apart. A rich, rewarding film about childhood but not necessarily one for children - more likely, it's for twenty/thirtysomethings who can just about remember their own formative years and are still trying to make sense of it all.
2. The loud, kinetic, violent opening sequence that introduces us to Max (he bounds down the stairs, wrestles with his pet dog, then builds and destroys an igloo) is some of the most exciting film-making this year...the subsequent terrorisation of his mother (nicely underplayed by the brilliant Catherine Keener) is equally devastating - and the only monster on-screen at this point is Max himself... it's also one of the weirdest opening sequences to a family film you'll ever see.
3. The sea voyage to the land of the Wild Things is epic and scary, the storm that envelops Max wonderfully summing up the hero's escape from reality to fantasy after running away from home... it's a nice counterpoint to the fun and frolics that take place when the wild rumpus finally starts...And when it starts it's delightful, a real sugar rush.
4. Mesmerising debut performance from Max Records...it's probably no coincidence he looks like a young version of Jonze but he oozes charm even in his wildest, most anarchic moments...believe us, the guy's a star in the making (and just how cool is the name Max Records anyway?) Kudos to Jonze for going for an unknown and holding out for his guy.
5. Stunning visual FX work throughout...the transition from monster suit to CG facial expressions is flawless - these creatures have real heart... There's also perfect voice casting for the Wild Things, each of whom represent a different strand of Max's pre-teen angst...in particular, James Gandolfini plays Carol, the Wild Thing with the closest affinity to Max, with affection, frustration, arrogance and warmth.
6. Possibly the finest, most emotional goodbye you'll see on film this year...when Max finally has to leave Carol and the rest of the Wild Things for the long voyage home (this time through calmer seas) it's completely and utterly devastating...frankly, you'll feel as if your heart's been torn out.
7. Stubbornly uncommercial and all the better for it...this could have been a much more mainstream, more Disney-fied experience but thankfully Jonze sticks to his guns and, alongside screenwriter Dave Eggers, turns in a genuinely moving, artistically challenging masterpiece.
THE BAD...
1. It's slow in parts - expect the little ones to get very restless during some of the more contemplative, sadder moments during the film's middle and final acts... a short film at 94 minutes, but not exactly a quick one.
2. Nothing really happens...the film doesn't have the most complex of narratives but then again what do you expect from an adaptation of a story that's only 10 lines long?
3. No Arcade Fire...the soundtrack by Karen O & Friends is lovely and all, but the trailer promised some hot "Wake Up" action that sadly never transpires... Having said that, it's probably for the best - the film already contains plenty to stimulate those hipster waterworks...
THE VERDICT...
An emotionally bruising experience, Where The Wild Things Are is a kid's film for grown-ups with some beautiful work from Jonze, here working at the top of his game. Hold onto your hankies, it's an easy...
*****
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