It's been a while (again), so apologies.
So, anyway, I've actually managed to watch a lot of films recently (still no books though..) and it has completely re-affirmed my belief in modern cinema. I shall start with one of my favourites, and probably the one that is freshest in my memory.
If you've missed the hype and avoided the hipsters running around in Max's costume recently then you're in for a treat. Directed by the excellent Spike Jonze, the film is an adaptation of (or an extrapolation from) the children's book of the same name. I never read the book as a child, and in fact only got to look at it properly a couple of days ago in Magma, Manchester—after watching the film twice. Considering I attach no childhood sentiment to the story, I found it deeply emotional and involving.
It is interesting to note that I have received mixed opinions on this film from a lot of people, but many seem to fall for the lack of obvious narrative— the film mirrors the book, in that it doesn't always fully explain the transition in the story and also never fully explains the relationships between characters. However, this pseudo-literary, less-is-more approach taken by the writers results in a film that is even more full of meaning and emotion than it would have been had everything been spelled out to the viewer.
This inter-character relationship between Max and the Wild Things (particularly with Carol, played superbly by James Gandolfini), and the relationships between the Wild Things themselves was what made the film so utterly absorbing. Contrary to appearances the Wild Things aren't dressed up Teletubies, they are complex characters who live out an almost bi-polar existence— balancing their need for stability and re-assurance from a king, with their 'wild' nature. Carol is the best example of this, with his visible conflict between his playful, loving, trusting half with his violent, self-destructive and frightening other. Something that is an amplification of what Max struggles to contain.
Perhaps the most apt description of the film is bittersweet—there is an ongoing conflict between the beauty of the cinematography and the flawed characters. I loved that the makers avoided providing a hollywood resolution to the fragmentation of Max's relationship with the Wild Things, leaving them wild but with a dim sense of hope.
A special mention should go to the excellent soundtrack by Karen O And The Kids, beautifully poignant at times and raucous at others— perfectly in tune with the film and key to the overall magic.
