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The Wichitan October 21, 2009
Entertainment ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ Classic children’s book comes to life on the big screen
Photo Courtesy The cover of “Where the Wild Things Are� attracted children to read this classic book.
Devan Gill For the Wichitan
For a film that’s had a lot stacked against it from the get go—being based off of a classic children’s book, getting Maurice Sendak’s blessing, various studios passing it up, directors trying and failing to effectively adapt the material— it would seem impossible for “Where the Wild Things Are� to strike common ground in today’s market. Most of the post-movie chatter has ranged from “What a masterpiece� to “That was boring� to “I don’t get it.� That’s to be expected. This particular film is either going to strike a deep chord in you or go completely over your head-there is no middle ground. I would only recommend it to a few of my friends and loved ones because I know the rest would mostly fall into the “I don’t get it� camp. Before going into “Where the Wild Things Are,� I knew offhandedly that I was going to be entertained because I liked what I saw from the outset. What I didn’t realize until the last ten minutes was how vividly the film captured the essence of childhood, or more specifically, what it’s like to be in the head of a rambunctious, misunderstood, highly imaginative nine yearold. Right from the jarring opening sequence, in which Max (the main character) viciously gives chase to the family dog and wrestles with it on the floor, I had a big smile on my face. Why? Because I’ve been there, and I’m sure a lot of other
20-30 something’s have been there too. It brought me back to a time when I chased, ran away from and wrestled with my dogs. As a child, I felt an inexplicable ecstasy that I haven’t felt since because stuff like that naturally goes away with age. As we get older, we tend to compromise our wild side and look at life in more rational terms, such as realizing that some things must change and most things are simply out of our control. That’s the major dilemma that the egocentric Max is faced with in this film. When things don’t go his way or his loved ones turn their back on him, Max lashes out and destroys things, then feels a great sense of sadness because it didn’t solve anything. I think we’ve all been there too. For those who have read the book, the opening lines state that Max makes mischief, but they never explain why he acts the way he does. Of course, Sendak’s book could only go so deep given the readership he was aiming for. The beauty of Spike Jonze’s take on the material is that he reads between the lines and gives them a whole new meaning. In the book, Max simply acts on his own impulses and is then banished to his room. In the film, Max’s self-imposed exile is spurred on by the discovery of a new boyfriend that his mother has brought home for dinner. Instead of transporting himself almost instantaneously to the land of the Wild Things as he did in
Photo Courtesy Maurice Sendak was the author of this classic children’s book.
the book, Max’s journey to the island is a very treacherous one in the film. The fact that Max spends an indefinite amount of time on the island blurs the issue regarding whether or not he actually made the journey, but since the film never tells the audience, it just makes things more enthralling. Jonze succeeds in immersing the audience in a storybook atmosphere, complete with exotic locations (sand dunes, beaches, forests), bizarre constructs and even a giant dog (which makes no sense at all but is amusing nonetheless). More importantly, the Wild Things themselves are faithful translations of their illustrated counterparts. Whereas readers could only exhibit a passing interest in the Wild Things, we are given a motley crew of monsters that are funny, charming, intense and very flawed. Jonze doesn’t obscure the fact that these creatures are extensions of Max’s personality, with Carol (James Gandolfini) being the most direct representation of Max’s primal fear. This is where the movie de-
stroys any pretensions about the audience it’s aiming for. Kids may delight in the funny moments, which there are plenty of, but the film takes some lengthy detours into dark places--some subtle, some not so subtle. They’re not happy all the time, and they don’t offer comfort when Max needs it the most. Some of them are defiant, passive, and bitter--and when they get angry, they don’t pull any punches. That’s because they’re more human than monster, and again, this film examines what it means to be human on a deeper level than any Pixar film has attempted in the past. Again, Jonze gets the book and makes the material his own without butchering the themes that made it such a timeless classic. Jonze’s approach to the film was terrific and perhaps
his most accessible directorial effort Photo Courtesy Max Records stars as to date. He opted for a lot of handheld shots t o the main character in “Where Wild Things Are,� which fully embody Max’s energy the was released to theaters Oct. and point-of-view, giving the 16. rest of the film a very loose, arthouse feel. ing since most child actors forThe creature effects were amaz- get how to act like, you know, ing because they weren’t 100 children. The voice talent was percent CGI concoctions but top-notch, particularly that of rather oversized suits (courtesy James Gandolfini and Catherine of the Jim Henson Creature O’Hara. Shop) that had been augmented In conclusion, “Where the with CGI. Wild Things Are� isn’t going to This gave the Wild Things a be regarded as the best film of lot of presence, but most impor- the year by many, and it probtantly, it made them more per- ably won’t win any Oscars (even sonable. though it should). Karen O’s indie score compliWhat it may have lacked in unimented the various moods being versal appeal it more than made played out on screen without up for with a lot of heart, style missing a beat. Max Records, and gumption. Any movie that who plays Max, delivered a has those qualities is a masterstrong and touching perfor- piece in my book. mance, which was very refresh-
‘Law Abiding Citizen’ serves justice and suspense Courtney Foreman For the Wichitan
You would never think the gorgeous face of Gerard Butler could be so heartless in this season’s must-see thriller, “Law Abiding Citizen.� The gist of the movie revolves around an attack on Clyde Shelton’s (Butler) family that leaves his wife and daughter brutally murdered. Instead of seeing his
family’s two killers get the justice they deserved, the man least responsible for the murder was given the death penalty and the man most deserving of punishment gets off with third degree murder, five years in jail. After seeing this injustice in the legal system, Shelton decides to take matters into his own hands by coming back 10 years later to grant justice where he sees fit, starting with the man
who got away with murder, Clarence Darby. Once the back story is set in the movie, the real adventure begins. Butler’s character in this film turns from devastated father and husband, to deranged revengeseeking killer. After Darby winds up dead, Shelton is arrested and taken to jail for his murder. The tricky part is, when assis-
tant DA Nick Rice (Jamie Foxx), who was originally assigned to Clyde’s family’s case 10 years ago, begins to talk with Shelton about the recent murder, Shelton only hints at confessing he was the one who did it. Confused yet? Well, that’s Shelton’s entire goal by this point. He begins to threaten Rice and tells him that he needs to fix the system that so wrongly allowed a killer to walk free and his family’s deaths go unjustified or he will find justice by his own means. From his jail cell, Clyde begins to use his former skills as a brilliant inventor to plan systematic events that slowly but surely knock off anyone and everyone who was involved in the case that failed to provide appropriate punishment to the two men who took his family from him. The phrase “keeps you guessing� is an understatement when it comes to this film. The plans of attack made by Butler’s character are well-or-
Photo Courtesy Jamie Foxx and Gerard Butler star in the new thriller, “Law Abiding Citizen.�
chestrated and incredibly fascinating to watch play out. The way the justice system fails him in this movie has you rooting for Shelton instead of the “good guys� and really makes you question how the whole legal procedure is run. There were a few scenes that are hard to watch if your squea-
mish about blood and torture, but on the other hand, seeing Butler’s back side and all its glory, makes up for it in my opinion. Overall, if you’re interested in seeing a movie that actually has a plot line worth watching and that will keep you on the edge of your seat, I highly recommend “Law Abiding Citizen.�
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