“Where the Wild Things Are”
*** (out of 4 stars)
Spike Jonze adapted Maurice Sendak’s beloved kids book about a boy named Max who journeys to a place inhabited by creatures that declare him king. Jonze not only finds his inner “rumpus,” to borrow a word, he goes wild. Dave Eggers co-wrote this artful celebration of the unruly. Flush with its own peculiar energy, the movie stars the voice talents of James Gandolfini, Catherine O’Hara, Lauren Ambrose and Chris Cooper, to name a few, as the wild things. Max Records impresses as sweet, impossible, hurting, creative Max. Catherine Keener plays his mother. PG. 1 hour, 41 minutes. Lisa Kennedy
“2012”
** (out of 4 stars)
The director stages earthquakes and tsunamis and volcanic eruptions. He reduces Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Washington and even Vatican City to rubble. You’ll likely be laughing too hard to care. For a movie about the end of the world, “2012” pulses with a goofy sort of life. “2012” is overwrought and overproduced, an orgy of Hollywood excess and incoherence. It’s also among the most entertaining movies you’ll see this year. PG-13. 2 hours, 40 minutes. Christopher Kelly, McClatchy Newspapers
“Cold Souls”
** (out of 4 stars)
Would an actor sell his own soul for a great performance? No, but he might pawn it. Paul Giamatti is struggling through rehearsals. His soul is weighed down; it tortures him; it makes his wife miserable. He hears about a new trend: People are having their souls extracted for a time, to lighten the burden. Dr. Flintstein’s Soul Storage service will remove the soul (or 95 percent of it, anyway) and hold it in cold storage. He’s the type of medical professional who focuses on the procedure and not the patient. Giamatti questions the procedure but signs up anyhow. PG-13. 1 hour, 41 minutes. Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
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