Review: Wild (2014)

Another day another Oscar nominated movie, although this one for Best Actress which is didn't win but hey ho had to give it a go anyway, I'm a huge Reese Witherspoon fan so what could it hurt. It was pretty neat to be able to watch this on the day of the Oscars, it really got me in the mood!

 

Wild is an adaptation of the true story of Cheryl Strayed (Reese Witherspoon) who after spending years in drunken stupors and the midsts of what can only be described as a sex addiction after the death of her Mother (Laura Dern), decides to walk 1,100 miles over the Pacific Crest Trail.  Bearing the literal scars from her trek and the emotional scars of her past she makes the extensive journey and provides flashbacks to her life before her drastic turn around.

 

 

As a visitor to the great state of California in recent months, it was great to see these amazing sights again and certainly made me want to go back and do some of the Pacific Crest Trail (maybe not the 1,000 that Cheryl did!!).  It's actually a great movie to watch for more than just the views, Reese Witherspoon does an amazing job of keeping you interested when she has nothing to say.  It reminded me a little of 127 hours where I was worried there would be nothing to watch except this one guys face.

It's quite amazing when I reflect back on Wild, because if you take the film in it's most basic form, you're watching a woman take a long walk alone for just under 2 hours. Yet, I was hooked from start to finish and didn't feel bored once, or even close to it.

 

hort cameos throughout the film break up the jaunt (even though you still feel exhausted just watching her trek...) and almost provide comfort for you as a viewer.  I felt tense throughout the whole film worrying that she was going to injure herself, get lost or get attacked so once she was at a trading post or with a nice couple (once you realise the husband wasn't an evil rapist) I felt a huge sense of relief.  That is until she went off on her own again!! There were definitely moments when I wanted to shout 'Noo!' at some of Cheryl's choices, and it made me realise just how untrusting we can be, as I always expected the worst to happen.

 

Definitely worth a watch for yourself, even if it's not your type of film you might just enjoy it.

Wild isn't my usual type of film, but it was an enjoyable experience and I would happily watch it again, or something similar.