THERE IS ONE IN ALL OF US - COME "WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE"

We all read this one right? I don’t think it’s that old as a book – my Mom doesn’t remember it - but I most definitely had a copy and I LOVED it… I was intrigued when I heard it was being adapted to film as well – the book is only about 15 – 20 pages long if I remember correctly! However with Oscar® nominated director Spike Jonze at the helm (director of “Adaptation” and the rather surreal classic “Being John Malkovich”) I was excited aswell. Then I saw the trailer and was desperate to watch it. Then I finally got my grubby paws on the film. I’m in love with it. I’ll go as far as saying I shed a little itty-bitty tear at the end…

Meet Max. He’s I would say around 10, he lives with his mother and older sister. He’s a bit of a loner and tends to throw tantrums and “act up” from time to time. He also has a very active imagination to make up for the loneliness… One day he runs away from home (his mother has a new boyfriend and his father is not around – I seem to have assumed the father was dead but there are no real indications in that direction) . Well, he runs and runs and runs, jumps into a little boat and crosses oceans and arrives at a mysterious island. This island is inhabited by monsters – big huge monsters with fur and horns and tails… They usually eat people but they don’t eat Max, in fact they end up making him their king… Max is a good king for a while and makes his subjects very happy. He becomes particularly close to one of the monsters – Carol (Carol’s a boy by the way – don’t question it, so was “Winne” the Pooh) the others are nice too though… However as we all know with that with great power comes responsibility and soon Max’s kingdom starts to unravel…

This categorically the MOST touching film I have ever watched – almost anyway… It is a children’s book it’s adapted from of course but I have a hard time classifying it as “fit for the whole family” – I mean you CAN show this to the little ones but a lot of subtleties of the film will be lost on the younger audiences… There is Judith and Ira – a monster couple, Alexander who no one ever listens to and who is the smallest, then Carol who tends to break things when he’s upset and who is pining for his “special friend” K.W (a girl in case you’re getting confused). In case my explanation was ambiguous this is very obviously a land of Max’s imagining – and the little details (I’ll leave you to discover them yourself) are endearing. The way Max and Carol learn to cope with life, the way they both “grow up”… And the cast doing the voiceovers is ASTOUNDING : James Gandolfini is Carol (I racked my brains as to who the very familiar voice was all through the film and had to check imdb), Lauren Ambrose (from Six Feet Under) is K.W. , Forest Whitaker is Ira and Oscar® winning actor Chris Cooper is another one of the monsters I didn’t mention (Douglas for those who watch – by the way don’t you ADORE their names). This is the story of a very imaginative little boy (The talented Max Records – who is 12 in the movie apparently – I got the age right!) thrashing out life and the whole “growing up” thing. Highly recommended to anyone with an imagination…