Where the wild things are (3 Stars)

This film is based on a children's book written by Maurice Sendak in 1963. The director Spike Jonze insists that he made the film for children, but many critics claim it isn't suitable for young children.

Max is a nine-year-old boy who has difficulty fitting in. He prefers to play alone. He builds an igloo outside his house, but his sister's friends demolish it. He's angry with his sister for not telling them off. Later that evening he wants to spend time with his mother, but she ignores him when her boyfriend visits. Dressed in a wolf suit, he runs round the house throwing things on the floor. When she scolds him, he runs away.

At the side of a lake he finds a small boat. He gets in it, and the wind blows him far, far away. He arrives at a island so far away that it's no longer winter. It's inhabited by seven large furry monsters who're in the middle of an argument. When Max goes to speak with them they want to eat him, so he says that he's the king of a far-off land, and he has magical powers that will make them happy. They agree to make him their king.

For a while they're contented, until they start to believe he's a fake.

I haven't read the book, so I can only judge the film on its own merits. I don't fully understand it. Does Max really travel to a magical land, or is it just a child's fantasy? He spends a long time on the island, many days, but when he returns home it seems like only a few hours have passed.

Spike Jonze has directed four films. The other three are "Being John Malkovich". "Adaptation" and "Her". They're all films that I like a lot, but I found difficulty relating to "Where the wild things are".

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