JT (287 KP) rated Where the Wild Things Are (2009) in Movies
Mar 10, 2020
It was a world that we could escape to, forget our fears and problems. For Max (Max Records) it is the same, a child with a vivid imagination he is sent to bed without any tea and so he runs away. Climbing into a boat he sails off and lands on an island full of large, if somewhat scarily looking cuddly creatures that make Max their king.
The film itself is based on the book by Maurice Sendak which if anyone had any sort of a childhood it will have been on their book case. The adaptation from book to film is brilliant, although there are a few things missing out.
There will be no forest growing in Max’s room, or the appearance of an aggravated sea monster which rears up beneath Max’s little yacht as he approaches the island. If you look closely enough at the film, and the world and creatures that Max has created you will realise that each creature is a character trait of Max himself.
His main friend on the island is Carol (voiced by James Gandolfini) who is Max’s creativeness. As Carol is closest to Max, he also plays the monster who presents the greatest physical challenges, and the anger that threatens to consume him.
KW, is Max’s love for his family in particular his mother and sister, the two people who give him the most structure in his life and who help to become the support that his absent father can’t give him.
The other personalities are Judith (Catherine O’Hara) who is his spitefulness, Ira (Forest Whitaker) his calm side, Alexander (Paul Dano) his insecurity, Douglas (Chris Cooper) his reason, and the mysterious unnamed bull his sadness.
The setting of the island is nothing short of picturesque, with a changing in Max’s mood twinned with the surrounding atmosphere. One minute it’s snowing and then blossom is falling. The overall feel of the film is juvenile, there is the odd way in which the creatures all like to sleep in a pile, to the big dirt clog fight that inevitably ends up with someone getting hurt.
Where The Wild Things Are is a film for anyone who has ever felt like re-living past childhood memories, the ones that our closest to our wild hearts.
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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Night Before in Books
Jun 21, 2019
So this wasn't exactly what I was expecting, and I have to admit, it was a slightly strange and weird--almost trippy--read. The book alternates between Laura and Rosie's viewpoints, with Laura's leading up to and covering her blind date, while Rosie's cover the "after" period, when she searches for her sister. No matter what, I will emphasize that the book mainly held my interest, and while I didn't love it as much as many other reviewers, it was an interesting read, for sure. It's different, too, which is always fun and sometimes hard to find when it comes to thrillers. I just wasn't as "wowed" as I'd hoped, based on some of the reviews I'd read.
The premise here is that Laura has a horrible track record with men. And that she has a bit of a history with violence and unpredictability. The first part you will certainly get, as it's hammered over and over. And over. A bit too much for my taste. We get it. She has bad taste in men and makes poor choices. The second part--her unreliability and potential for violence--is a bit more intriguing. Instead of Rosie thinking that something might have happened to Laura, she almost fears Laura might have done something to her date. I liked this premise: it goes back to the fact that the book was different. A lot of this stemmed to Laura's past and a mysterious encounter with an old boyfriend, which was slowly revealed.
"It was in my hand. The weapon that killed him. But that night didn't change me. That night made me see what I've always been."
There are definitely some interesting twists in this one. Some, eh, while others were very unexpected. But, more in the far-fetched unexpected realm, versus whoa!, which led to a little bit of my letdown feeling. I wasn't particularly impressed with the big reveal of whodunnit and had no real attachment to any of the characters, including Laura, which was a bit disappointing.
Still, as I said, this one definitely held my interest, especially in the last 1/2 - 1/3 of the book. It's different and a little weird and dark. Some of the twists didn't really do it for me, but there are a ton of people who really liked this one, so take my review with a grain of salt. I'm still glad I read this book, and I will definitely continue to seek out Wendy Walker's books, as they are always a fun read. 3+ stars.