Where the Wild Things Are

There are many bizarre and horrific moments in this film adaptation of Maurice Sendak's famous children's book. Childhood is presented here as a labyrinthine ball of confusion and emotional difficulties. I'm thankful I couldn't relate to the lead character, Max. He's a challenged dude. All the same, the characters and dialogue are striking in their naked honesty. You may be tempted at times to click "stop" and give up on "Where the Wild Things Are" as a film, but press on and you will be rewarded with a heart-warming ending. One ought to know going in that this is not a children's film.


Written 6/14/10

District 9

Horrendous. The aliens don't even look great! "District 9" takes an admittedly outstanding premise (the first 5 minutes of the film are awesome) and proceeds to ruin it with lame special effects, excessive gore, and non-compelling characters. It ends up feeling like some dudes are just trying to show off their new computer software. Proceed with caution!

Written 3/23/10

Moon

"Moon" is a classic worthy of a place in anyone's film pantheon. The story unfolds at just the right pace, Sam Rockwell is brilliant, and the set design is highly nuanced and believable. There's no sense in me giving away any of the story's twists and turns - be surprised upon viewing! The film is directed by David Bowie's son, Duncan Jones. This is his first feature. Mr. Jones appears to have a bright future ahead of him.


Written 3/11/10

The Fall

"The Fall" is an inverted, darker "Princess Bride". Here, the adult storyteller is the one who is sick. He has a rapt audience in young actress Catinca Untaru (her performance is outstanding). And he weaves his tale, which at times bored me but is always visually stunning. Everything you think is a special effect is not. The filmed sets perfectly capture the fantasy element in storytelling. The end of the movie delivers great hope to the viewer in its knowing portrayal of the resilience of humankind. Among the special features, the behind-the-scenes featurette is essential viewing. There you can begin to understand how the director Tarsem coaxed such a singular performance from his child lead.


Written 9/18/08