The site has been somewhat neglected in the last couple of months largely because work has been rather hectic in the buzzing litigation dispute resolution department. It’s been fun, but exhausting enough that I’ve been doing little else of particular note (and confidentiality means I can’t write about the work here either). I did recently end up taking a last minute day’s holiday for sanity maintenance, after realising I hadn’t had a day off since June. Hopefully now, with an additional trainee back from secondment, things will settle down slightly going into the new year.
Did you know that BAFTA has its own private cinema hidden away in the heart of Piccadilly? It lies behind a relatively inconspicuous door with BAFTA written above. The inside is decorated with giant sculptures of the organisation’s distinctive gold face, and features a bar and restaurant as well as the excellent cinema which is a good size and has one of the nicest screens I’ve seen in London.
Sarah and I found ourselves there last night at a preview screening of Where The Wild Things Are, courtesy of LOVEFILM. Spike Jonze has achieved something remarkable in his pitch perfect recreation of the tone of Maurice Sendak’s beloved children’s book. The book itself is something of an enigma, in this country at least, being either adored or entirely unknown depending on to whom you speak.
The Wild Things are a perfect way to explore different parts of Max’s psyche and the loving attention to detail is evident from their furry costuming to their humanised expressions. Casting voice talent must have been a strange process, but they all blend in well. Being a Sopranos fan I did find James Gandolfini’s distinctive voice as Carol slightly distracting, though he was great choice for the role. The mood is greatly enhanced by the low key but subtly infectious score by Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, which I heard several people humming or whistling as we left. The film necessarily expands significantly upon the book but in returning to a childhood classic it’s the tone and the sense of wonder that really count, and Jonze nails both. I previously Jonze’s mentioned his documentary on the author, and I’m now even more curious to see it.
It’s particularly nice to have a children’s film designed simply to allow them to explore psychological ideas rather than feeling the need to signpost and spell out every message explicitly. Also, child actor Max Records has one of the coolest names ever.
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