INTO THE WILD

Hey, the good news is that I’ve already seen 6 movies in the first two weeks of 2008!



There’s more good news, this movie is really quite excellent. I knew almost nothing about it beforehand, which worked in its favor actually. Somehow I thought it was going to be an uplifting tale of a man learning how to be independent and live harmoniously with nature, on his own terms… The movie is kind of about that, but mostly about the opposite of that. I really don’t want to elaborate because I don’t think you guys have seen this movie yet. Suffice it to say that this movie is incredibly dark and quite bitterly depressing.
It’s amazing that I have such a high opinion of the film – it’s really long, and in spite of the amazing shots of breathtaking natural vistas, the pacing is kind of plodding and aimless. The main character is also difficult to sympathize with (or even like). That’s part of the point, however, and Sean Penn rolls it all up and somehow makes it perfect by the end of the movie. It’s really quite an experience, and I’m not sure I want to see it again very soon, because the painful bits are not painful in a fun and cathartic way… Anyway I would recommend this movie very strongly, although I think it’s already left the theaters, and a lot of people will (possibly) think it’s boring.