wild
2015 review number 13:
Wild: (Drama): 74 out of 100: Based on Cheryl Strayed's memoirs "Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail", this biographical drama will have you in awe of its landscape settings which might encourage you to even go on this trek in the United States.
Cheryl Strayed (Reese Witherspoon) embarks on a 1,100 mile solo hike which crosses the Mojave Desert. Recent upheavals in her life including the separation from her husband and death of her mother (Laura Dern) have convinced her to undertake this journey to abandon her reckless and destructive lifestyle which included promiscuity and drug abuse.
Reese Witherspoon is in just about every scene and deserves her Oscar nomination. She embodies her character and delivers a remarkable performance which captures the emotions that Strayed experienced. The other nominee is Laura Dern for Best Supporting Actress who is shown in a series of flashbacks.
The flashback scenes actually interrupt the flow of the film. Just as we're getting into the emotional core of the story, the movie flashes back to Witherspoon's life in no chronological order. They do provide us with an insight though into why she has made the decision to pursue this journey.
Some people might be disappointed with the relatively slow pacing but it's crucial to the development of the narrative. You can't have someone going on a solo trek at a brisk pace. These scenes are beautifully photographed and present the landscape in all its glory.
"Wild" is a satisfying recount of one woman's battle with her demons and her subsequent trek to improve herself. It is a powerful reminder of how we can shape our own lives when we set our minds to it.
Starring Reese Witherspoon and Laura Dern
(115 minutes)
Parental advice: Nudity, sex scenes, sexual references, coarse language, drug use and adult themes
Additional scene during or after credits: Yes, photos of the real life Cheryl Strayed
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tn2-GSqPyl0 (Movie trailer)
(Reviewed on Tuesday 27th January, 2015)
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