
I went to see Where The Wild Things Are at the midnight premiere in Prytania Theatre. What I saw that night moved me deeply, and I believe anyone in touch with their inner child would be moved too. There isn't much I can say about the story that would be considered a spoiler, so I'll mention a few things about the aesthetics of the movie and the young actor.
Starting off by the kid, he truly acts his age, and is always a sight to behold. He pulls off the sometimes scared, sometimes brave main character in a way that's surprising for someone his age. Your heart really goes out to him when he falls into his depressed moods. You jump when he starts acting like a wolf. A very interesting performance, though unlikely to be called the year's best.
This entire movie truly came together thanks to Spike Jonze. A while before heading out, I caught a short commercial for the movie which featured the director of the movie and the writer of the book engaging in a loose interview about how the writer feels about this adaptation of his book, which he answers that he loves it, and feels Jonze really captured the essence of childlike wonder.
I agree completely with this assessment. The camera work is superb, and follows the boy on his own level throughout the movie, without ever feeling detached from the boy's experiences. The colors are crisp and bright, and really bring your attention to his costume, the wild things, the fortress, and all the other visual aspects of the movie. In this, Spike Jonze and his camera team have completely excelled.
The time spent reading this, few or many it may be, would be better spent purchasing a ticket for this magnificent movie. This is a must see for adults and kids, though I think some younger audiences might not fully understand the strong emotional undercurrents of the movie. I hope this is not the case for many, as I would gladly buy this movie and rewatch it for years to come.
When we came out of the theatre, it was in the middle of a thunderstorm at 2AM. I feel no one in the theatre actually took the film to heart, as my group was one of the few that braved the cold rain to run to the car. It was fun, and a perfect experience to follow this majestic movie.
Can't wait to see the movie as I'm a big fan of Being John Malkovich and Adaptation. Believe it or not I have never read the book. Should I read it before seeing the movie?
I love this book as a kid, cant wait to be able to see this movie.