Where The Wild Things Are
Director: Spike Jonze
Written By: Spike Jonze & Dave Eggers
Photography: Lance Acord
Starring: Max Records, James Gandolfini, Forest Whitaker.
Year: 2009
Country: USA, Australia, Germany.
Beastie Boys music video director and Charlie Kauffman collaborator, Spike Jonze, creates an autearistic adaptation of the beloved Maurice Sendak children's book.
Max is an eight year old with more anger and imagination than he has friends. One night he gets so frustrated with his home life after an argument over frozen corn and learning that his Mum is banging Mark Ruffalo, he runs away and charters a sail-boat to a mysterious island, where the wild things are. The wild things don't take long to crown Max their king and he takes even less time to being the wild rumpus.
I did read the book, not in my childhood but, possibly ironically, in my mid-teens. I don't really remember it so I can't say how dedicated the film is to its source material. I would imagine not very
In the lead up to this film, Spike Jonze was quoted as saying "I'm not making a film for children, I'm making a film about childhood". As you would expect from the auteur director behind Adaptation and Being John Malkovich, the film takes a melancholic artistic approach, raising questions about its suitability for junior audiences. If you ask me I think it is, it's not like Wes Anderson's Fantastic Mr. Fox, which was trying so hard to be a kids' film it had George Clooney contemplating out loud philosophical theories that would go over most adults' heads.
Where The Wild Things Are adopts themes that some people may label as 'adult', but I don't think any of these themes will be completely lost on children. You underestimate them too much. The only fear that you should have as a parent is that some of the scenes are legitimately scary. If I was to give a recommended age it would be upwards of six.
The film looks stunning both through Lance Acord's cinematography and these beautifully designed Wild Thing suits with what I imagine are CGI faces to sink up to the voice talents of James Gandolfini, Forest Whitaker, Catherine O'Hara and Paul Dano.
Where The Wild Things Are is an aesthetically pleasing and sentimental tale of childhood that should tug at the heart strings of anyone, despite their age.
Score: 3.5/5
The Muppets
Director: James Bobin
Written by: Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller.
Photography: Don Burgess
Starring: Jason Segel, Amy Adams and Chris Cooper
Year: 2011
Country: USA
I won't lie and say The Muppets was part of my childhood. I don't have any memories of watching The Muppets on a more than sparse occasion. It took me till fifteen to fully differentiate it from Sesame Street.
But wherever or not I have a personal spot in my heart for the Muppets means nothing. What's important is that the people involved in making it have. And it's clear for the writing that this isn't another cash-in reboot or remake. It's made with love, which is part of makes it such a joy to watch.
Walter and Gary are brothers and residents of Smalltown, they're extremely close and are very similar. The one big difference being that one's a puppet and the other is a man, played by Jason Segel. Walter came to terms with being a puppet by finding solidarity with his heroes on his favourite TV program, The Muppet Show. Fast Forward to present day and The Muppet Show is no more but Walter and Gary are still as obsessed. Walter accidentally uncovers a plot by the evil Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) and The Moopets to destroy the Muppet Studio. Walter Gary and his 10 year girlfriend Mary (Amy Adams) set off find the Muppets and put on one final show to raise the money to keep the studio open.
The writing for the most part is charming and funny. It keeps what made The Muppets popular back in the 70s, managing to keep both children and adults entertained with a huge spectrum of jokes while always staying clear of the PG benchmark. Though sometimes the writing feels a little lazy; An evil oil baron called Tex Richman and a small town called Smalltown, it's almost like a James Cameron screenplay.
I find it hard to judge acting in movies that are playing down to an infant audience because the actors often are too. It's hard to adjust Jason Segel doing this when you're used to seeing him crude post Judd Apatow comedies.
They're are a lot of great cameos as there always are in Muppet movies. I won't say who appears because that would spoil it. But to get a grasp of the calibre of celebrities in there; Ricky Gervais, Danny Trejo and Billy Crystal all had their scenes cut out. Though none beat the Orson Welles cameo in the original Muppet movie back in 1979.
The musical numbers are fabulous. Written by Bret Mckenzie form Flight of the Concords, the song 'Man or Muppet' won the Oscar for best original song (the fact that only two songs were nominated doesn't take away from its brilliance). Even as a non Muppets fan, Rainbow Connection still makes my heart grow three sizes. It's like The Beatles or hot chocolate, it resonates with everyone.
The Muppets is the most charming movie I've seen in while, my only disappointment is that it hasn't brought baby blue suits into fashion.
Score: 4/5
