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."
