Where the wild things are

Hi,

This may contain some mild spoilers!

I took my eldest daughter to see Where the wild things are, yesterday. I have never read the book, well I don't think I have. But this film will stay with me for a long time to come. I thought it was a wonderful film, full of emotion and wonder. The wild things are brilliantly realised and Spike Jonze has done sterling work, from a book with very few words.
Has he read the subtext of the story perfectly? That I don't know, but I will be finding out, I am interested to see what Jonze saw on those pages.

Max Records plays Max and is wonderful, I thought he looked so natural, so at ease with acting he made the film, the fact he is in it, nearly all of the time is a testament to both Max and Jonze for getting such a wonderful performance from an unknown actor. The rest of the cast have brief moments, but Catherine Keener is great playing the Mum with the weight of the world on her shoulders.

The film is very touching in a number of ways, it took me back to my childhood, when you wanted to show your castle to your Mum and be proud of what you've built. The frustration when she's to busy to come and look, and the anger when you tore it down!
The sadness when people come and go, when people don't listen, when they have something better to do than to comfort you. I do know some of these feelings from my childhood, and my Kids may feel the same sometimes, but we try to be there for them all the time. It's hard and Max's Mum finds it hard, but Max doesn't understand he wants to be accepted by his piers and he wants to be loved. I'm not saying Max's Mum doesn't love him, she does, but when she wants attention herself from a male friend Max is the one who feels left out. Which leads to confrontation and anger and finally violence (not extreme) which leads to Max running away.

And it's while he's in hiding we meet the wild things, now I could easily see Max huddled in a tree stump trying to work everything out and creating this fantasy to try and rationalise it all. And while he is with the wild things he does learn the value of his mother, his sister and why things change and how to accept these changes.

Overall I thought this film was amazing, wonderful to look at, touching - Outstanding (10/10)

I would also like to add some other notes, mostly concerning people's reaction to this film.

Max isn't a horrid little child, he's not a problem child, the opening scene with him chasing the dog is a bored kid finding something to do. Hell I chased the dog all over the house and fought with him, in the name of fun. I even did it when I was 12.

He's lonely, so playing in the snow on his own isn't much fun, or talking to a fence, so when he see's an opportunity for a snow ball fight with his sisters friends he takes it he's not being naughty he just wants to have fun. At the end of the scene who's the naughty kid? The one who jumps on his Igloo and buries Max. And while his sister doesn't console him just drives away with her friends, he becomes angry at her and trashes her room. But he is remorseful in the end because he shows his Mum his actions and helps to tidy the room.

Both are signs he's not out of control he's lonely and just wants some attention.

Later while he's on the Wild things Island, he finds being King isn't easy, making decisions and keeping everybody happy isn't easy.
Again how people see Max's war as a naughty thing is beyond me. Every group of boys has played war, thrown dirt clods at each other, and of course someone always gets hurt, it was all part and parcel of being a kid! Max had someone to play with at last, his imagination heightened the experience so it looks more extreme!

But also the end when he returns home, Mother stands for comfort, of course she welcomes him home and feeds him, but Max also realizes where he is safe and his mother will be there for him!


WONDERFUL FILM!!!!!