Where the Wild Things Are

No matter what you think of Where the Wild Things Are, you have to give it credit for not being what you would normally expect from an adaptation of a children's book. I expect this film will divide a lot of people, and its theoretical target audience - kids - will almost certainly not like it. But the fact that it didn't turn into The Cat in the Hat or Shrek the Third is a minor miracle. But then, you don't hire Spike Jonze and expect typical. What Jonze instead delivered is a film that is melancholy, adventurous, lyrical, boring, artistic, plot-less, grim, scary, funny, alienating, and childish (among other things). It's a big ball of emotions, and that's kind of an exciting achievement. I can't say that I was always entertained, but on an intellectual level I was always fascinated.

To take the original Wild Things book and turn it into a feature length film is a daunting task in and of itself. The book is beautiful to look at, but it has no real plot. A boy named Max is punished, so he runs off to the land of the Wild Things, where he is proclaimed king and has a wild rumpus. He then goes home and eats dinner. Simple, fun, kids book. The film pads this concept out, and it does so by ramping up the emotional aspects of the film. We are completely in Max's (Max Records) head throughout the film, and at times it is wondrous what Jonze is able to achieve through this. He taps into memories of childhood that I had forgotten about completely, and seeing them on the screen brought on a flood of memories. I suddenly remembered doing those things, feeling that way. But as the film goes on, it loses some of those nostalgics in favor of exploring more general emotions. It is here where the film stumbles, and it is unfortunate that this is also the same moment when the Wild Things appear.

Each Wild Thing represents an emotion. Sure, they all apply to kids, but they really apply to everyone. Anger, loneliness, sadness, pride, bossiness: each has a Wild Thing. Unfortunately, the film doesn't quite know what to do with these emotional creatures. Max ultimately presides over them, and the symbolism of that is clear, though not always entertaining. Max struggling with his emotions is the right idea for this adaptation, but it is something that is dwelled upon for too long. That illuminates the real problem at hand: the film is just too long. As a short, it would be a masterpiece. At 90+ minutes, it can't sustain its central conceit. I loved being in the world for a time, but like Max, I longed to go home.

Where this film undoubtedly succeeds is in the visuals. The way Jonze created the Wild Things is stunning. Part Jim Henson puppets (think Sweetums), part CGI, they are seamless and easily the most beautiful special effects of the year thus far. On top of that, the cinematography and art direction bring this world to life in a mesmerizing way. The shots linger on this fantastical world much like your eyes might have on the pages of the book. I mentioned before that the film really gets into the head space of Max, and a big part of that is through the way they shot the world he exists in. Beautiful stuff.

Speaking of Max, the young boy playing him is wonderful. He is never cloying, never mugging. He simply feels like a real little boy. Having to act against these imaginary things, which probably looked pretty silly during filming, he is utterly believable. The way he naturally conveys the emotions of childhood are one of the strong points of the film. Max may just be a little boy, but you care about him and understand him through the performance. The other actors are just as great, though it is Max's movie. Catherine Keener as his mom is great and understated, and she leaves an impact on the rest of the film after she is gone. The Wild Things are all voiced wonderfully, especially by James Gandolfini as the central Wild Thing, Carol. Each actor is able to get to that central emotion their Wild Thing is supposed to represent, and they stick to it well. It's not a film about big lessons or evolving characters, so the Wild Things don't become different creatures thanks to Max, but you still feel like they've come to embrace who they are a little bit by the end.

Spike Jonze is a very interesting choice to direct this film. Clearly a man with a distinct vision, Warner Bros must have known they wouldn't get the typical family film from him here. And indeed, it really doesn't seem to work as a family film. I could get into it because I understood what Jonze wanted to convey, but it wasn't a film to be enjoyed as much as appreciated. It's a flawed film, but one that comes from a singular vision worth experiencing. Perhaps the best way to sum it up came from a mother and son sitting behind me at the screening. After it was over, the boy said to the mom "Why did you want to see this?" The mom replied, "Because it was beautiful."

Paranormal Activity

When a horror film is done right, when it hits exactly all the right notes, it is the best movie going experience. Fear is such a powerful emotion, it is fascinating to experience it. Films like The Exorcist, The Haunting, or The Texas Chain Saw Massacre can bring out a stronger emotional reaction from an audience than just about any other movie, period. Unfortunately, films like those come around maybe 3 or 4 times a decade, if we're lucky. The vast majority of horror films are simply made up of copious gore and jump moments. This decade especially has been devoid of any real classic horror films, with studios opting instead to remake every horror film imaginable. So when a little film called Paranormal Activity popped in out of nowhere, I took notice. It seemed to rely more on atmosphere than violence, something that goes a long way in a good horror film. Still, a film that derives scares from loud noises and lights flickering has to be exceptionally well done to avoid looking very silly. It's not an easy thing to pull off, especially on such a low budget. Thankfully, Paranormal Activity doesn't look silly at all. Indeed, it is downright terrifying.

The film, as you have probably heard, owes a lot to The Blair Witch Project. Like that film, it's a low budget indie film that some friends decided to make over a week. It's shot as if it is found footage from a couple who decided to look for paranormal activity in their house. You have to get into the right mindset for this kind of film, or else it won't work on you. However, if you can embrace it, it will frighten you like few other films have. It follows the couple as they realize that their house is haunted not by a ghost, but by a demon. One might wonder: why not leave the house then? That is answered in such a simple, logical, and terrifying way that it makes you feel almost as helpless as the characters in the film. There is no escape for the characters, and thus, none for the audience as well.

The film is basically a series of tension building scenes that just become more and more unbearable as the film progresses. At first we see doors open and close or hear loud stomping coming from the hallway, but these things become more and more intrusive and dangerous. There are so many moments that stand out as utterly scary, that it becomes useless to list them. One that I will mention is when the demon decides to grab somebody and take them with him down the hall. We've assumed up until this point that the demon will only interact with the object in the house, not the people. So when it happens, this moment comes seemingly out of nowhere and hits you very hard. And it's only the tip of the iceberg. While the demon in question is never seen, its presence it palpable. The filmmakers used very trick they could think of to make this thing feel so menacing, and it pays off.

I can honestly say I've never been this scared by a movie before. It took me by complete surprise. The way it draws you into the experience, it becomes overpowering at times. The screams from audience members were constant throughout the film, and people were physically shaking after it was over. Given how many horrible horror films we've had the last decade, I think a lot of people have forgotten just what it's like to be genuinely scared by a movie. I'm not talking about things jumping out at you and making you jump in your seat. This film creates honest dread in you as you watch it, and it is hard to shake once it's over. It's not the most eloquently put together movie, but as a horror film, it stands out to me as one of the most effective - if not the most effective - that I have ever seen. If you care at all about horror films, you owe it to yourself to see this movie. Because, honestly, who knows when we'll ever get something quite this scary again.