James Gandolfini: 5 Awesome Performances And 5 That Sucked

2. Carol - Where The Wild Things Are (2009)

Seriously, why do people not talk about this film more? Spike Jonze's adaptation of Maurice Sendak's classic children's book was non-traditional, to be sure, but it's probably also one of the most realistic and powerful depictions of childhood and imagination that's ever been committed to celluloid. Taking the book as a starting point, Where The Wild Things Are sees the young, angry Max leaving his suburban home - complete with single mother and annoying older sister - to a fantasy world of his own creation. Whilst there he meets the titular wild things - huge, furry monsters created using a mix of CGI and practical effects - which appear to represent different aspects of his own personality, which Max struggles to reconcile. Each wild thing has a pretty great actor behind their voice, but Gandolfini stands out as Carol, the "leader" of the monsters before Max shows up. Tears shed during Max's departure from the island and abandonment of the monsters is as much down to Gandolfini's vocal performance as the pained look on Carol's face.