
Writer: Nick Hornby
Starring: Reese Witherspoon
Laura Dern
Thomas Sadoski
Michiel Huisman
Gaby Hoffman
Kevin Rankin
Brian Van Holt
Rating: *****
Release Date: Out Now
Reese Witherspoon is one of those actresses who has made a name for herself by playing the pretty, innocent good-girls, so Wild is something that I was shocked to hear her involvement in; which was very wrong of me. The film is based on the memoir by Cheryl Strayed, a recovering herion addict, and it is a story of one woman pushing herself to the limits, both physically and mentally. It mirrors beautifully the journey that Witherspon has taken as an actress, she has taken a risk and put herself up on that screen with no airs or graces, just her, a backpack and the camera.
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Reese Witherspoon |
This is not the first time there has been a Man Vs' Nature film, and it always lends itself beautifully to a dramatic piece of cinema. That being said this is one of the first films (that I know of) where it is a young woman taking on the world in such a way. Right or wrong, as an audience it is slightly harder to watch because the idea of a young woman taking on a challenge so grueling, is quite a daunting idea. Luckily, director Jean-Marc
Vallée never takes the chance to exploit the character or over-indulge in the slightly darker moments, for instance a rather menacing character Cheryl runs into on her journey could have been dealt with much worse than it was.This means that this story soon becomes a story of a woman becoming empowered, a woman taking control of the world and fighting to get her life back to some resemblance of what it once was. It allows Cheryl to be given the title of "The Queen of the PCT" by other hikers.
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Laura Dern |
The hike is made to feel harder than any journey thats been seen before because we are constantly getting reminded of the emotional back story behind her decision, and you feel proud of her for dealing with everything using strength and poise. It never feels awkward, or shoehorned into the script. Vallee manages to make each transition from past to present seamless and organic to what is happening on screen at that moment. Witherspoon, in one of her best performances to date, is wonderful in this film, and is a huge asset to the story and making it work. She plays it gutsy, vulnerable and dignified, and while so much happens to the character in this film, you can still visibly see Strayed growing in strength despite her challenging travels. Well done to Witherspoon for taking the audience on that emotional journey with Strayed, and doing it with her pure, natural talents.
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