If you like to take long walks to ponder, then "Wild" is the perfect film for you. The movie decides to have a unique filming style which presents an intimate perspective on what goes on inside the mind of our protagonist, Cheryl Strayed, as she tries to accomplish an insurmountable feat. Streams of thought, memories, songs and more thoughts bombard the viewer that makes "Wild" a slow yet deep hallucinatory experience that might not be as easy to take for some.

In 1995, Cheryl Strayed (Reese Whitherspoon) decides to hike more than a thousand miles of the Pacific Crest Trail alone as a way to heal herself from all the emotional and physical baggage she has carried for years. Following her mother's (Laura Dern) untimely death, Cheryl spirals into reckless and destructive behavior by becoming a heroin addict and having sex with any man that wants to do it with her. Coupled with her recent divorce, Cheryl is eager to move unto a new life starting with a unique hiking adventure to truly test her mettle.

Alluring, captivating, moving. "Wild" is a movie that knows what it wants to show and doesn't give a damn even if it turns out unconventional. "Wild" needs and wants your full attention as its slowly unfolds our protagonist's holdups along the way. The story itself is great on its own. It really moves you, as a viewer, to do more and to be inspired. But it also turns out formulaic. Our protagonist walks, blunders, stumbles and eventually meets a person or two that will help her, scare her or both. Acting-wise, Reese Witherspoon was good enough but her performance was lacking and wasn't really magical - it just doesn't have that oomph factor. We really expected it to be given the source material. Notably, Laura Dern, as Cheryl's mom, was the total standout among the rest. The most impressive thing for "Wild" though is its presentation. The camera work was stunning encapsulating what it probably feels like to take a huge hike like what our character did. The audio cues were also great completing the illusion of us being inside Cheryl Strayed's actual thoughts. Overall, "Wild" can be inspiring but it will take a lot of patience and attention to truly appreciate its message.

Rating: 3 reels





Why you should watch it:
- stunning camera work
- Laura Dern was magical

Why you shouldn't watch it:
- Reese Witherspoon as the lead was lacking
- story was a little too formulaic

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