Movies: Review 8: Wild

Directed by: Jean marc Valee Written By: Nick Hornby and Cheryl Strayed

Release Year: 2014

Rating: 7.0

I think I barely have done this less research on a movie. I knew it was about a woman who wanted to excape her life and find herself as they say. I thought I knew how the movie would be, before I even watched it. We all have seen those movies, where a woman decides to take her life on her own hands, starts fresh is a new self. Thats what I thought. I wasnt nececcary wrong, I wasnt right either. 

We see Reese Witherspoon portrait a woman we all have seen before. Going down that dark parth she cant seem to escape except she does after the failure of her marriage. The movie starts with her on the mountain, throwing her second shoe down the the hill after already loosing the other one. She screams, loud, like she cant help herself. But it also feels like she finally can scream, that she now is past her acceptance and can walk on.

I dont want to go much into the story, I mean she is hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, meaning 1,100 miles, about three months alone. I can only imagine how hard that is, not only because I am a woman.
We see flashbacks during those hikes, that lead into a far more wild and self-distructive self, with a loving husband.

What I realised though is, this movie isnt about a woman hiking, or about the hardships of a actual three months hike, I know its hard before doing so. Its about a woman who lost her way, who uses her body to show the pain she cant talk about. Its sometimes hard to look and watch, how people hurt themselves, how we all are actually punishing ourselves, over and over again for the mistakes we made, how we ourselves cant forgive ourselves eventhough others *might did
I is in my eyes supposted to teach us, that we make mistakes, we all do, many of them, hopefully we learn from them, in what way depends on us. But, its important that we do not punish ourselves over and over again, relentless to the belief that it was wrong what we did and we are a horrible person.

I somewhat could relate to that, so after the movie ended, I wasnt nec. feeling better, but thinking of it helped me to feel more understood.

I think what surprised me was the way it was shot as well, it wasnt the typical American Dream, the perfect wife with children and her all so loving husband. It was shot rough, like a open wound in salt water. It wasnt pitch perfect either, but I understand where she was coming from, sometimes thats just enough.

Also I think this was one of Reese Witherspoons greatest performances in her career. I saw it hard to compare to a story like "Still Alice" with the stunning and  tearful performance of Julianne More, yet I wouldnt compare those two to begin with.

Hope you all enjoyed your lovely Sunday

B