Review: "Where the Wild Things Are"

In short, “Where the Wild Things Are” is as good a movie as can be derived from a 10-sentence children’s book. That’s not necessarily meant to sound like a putdown. Narratively thin, director and co-screenwriter Spike Jonze isn’t interested in structuring his film around standard family film plot points. “Wild Things” is a melancholy character study focused on Max, a rambunctious young boy played astonishingly well by Max Records. After bouts with his sister and single mother, Max runs away from home and escapes to an island where the wild things are. The film presents a series of vignettes between Max and his new friends, and these events clearly mirror his home life with increased levels of despair.

Shot in ruggedly handsome Melbourne, Australia, director of photography Lance Acord imbues breathtaking imagery with an appropriate autumnal color scheme. After all, this is a film about growing up. The wild things, themselves, are seamlessly and beautifully rendered through puppetry, costumes and computer animation. They’re voiced by an all-star cast, which includes: Chris Cooper, Forest Whitaker, Catherine O’Hara, Paul Dano and standout James Gandolfini. Carton Burwell and Karen O., composers with slightly conflicting sensibilities, collaborated on the score. The former lends his traditional sorrowful tone while the latter offers something more celebratory. The result is a soundtrack that’s wholly unique and fitting.

Spike Jonze has made a career on quirky, independent-minded projects, and “Where the Wild Things Are” follows suit. It’s an art house film masquerading as a studio production, backed by Warner Brothers and costing upwards of $80 million. Jonze is to be commended for following through on his convictions. His adaptation of Maurice Sendak’s book is decidedly sad and dreary, and it certainly would have been easier (i.e. more commercially viable) to go another, lighter route. “Where the Wild Things Are” isn’t so much for children as it is about being a child and all the angst, sadness and uncertainty that comes with it. Its lack of a traditional structure is befitting of these whirlwind emotions (if a bit inactive). As an examination of a child’s psyche, it’s very effective and deeply moving. As a palatable family outing that’s based on a cherished children’s book, well, “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” is still in theaters.

*** or ***½ / ****