Wild, 2014.
Directed by Jean-Marc Valée.
Starring Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern, Gaby Hoffman, Thomas Sadoski, Brian Van Holt and W. Earl Brown.
SYNOPSIS:
A chronicle of one woman’s 1,100-mile solo hike undertaken as a way to recover from a recent catastrophe.
After his Oscar nominated efforts for the superb Dallas Buyers Club, director Jean-Marc Vallée could have chosen pretty much anything as his next project. Courted by many more than Reese Witherspoon, it wouldn’t have been wholly surprising to have seen his name linked with bigger Hollywood projects, whether that had been a $150 million blockbuster, or indeed joining the universes Marvel and DC in the hope that he would help create the next in the ever-growing list of comic-books adaptations. But it was Wild that truly tickled the Canadian maestro, and you can see why.
Another beautifully directed film, Vallée is slowly becoming one of the best new talents in directing right now, and while his work for DBC is still arguably his best work, his work here is still outstanding. Thanks to his graceful direction and work with photographer Yves Belanger, you can feel every step that Cheryl takes: across harsh deserts, cold snows, mountain tops and beyond, while navigating herself through a plethora of weathers, you feel as if you are in that tent with her, struggling to rid it of the creepy crawlies that surround it. It looks and feels gorgeous, and
What makes the film enticing is its brilliant use of the narrative, written for the screen by Brit Nick Hornby (About A Boy). On the surface, it’s the story of Cheryl Strayed (Witherspoon) walking across the desert to escape both her demons and herself seems relatively straight forward (no pun intended). But rather than tell a very linear narrative, Hornby and Vallée distort it, juggling the events both on and off the trail, to create a much more compelling piece, as if Cheryl is replaying them back to herself to make sure they were real, as she tries desperately to forgot, to gain closure. It’s beautifully constructed (and edited by Martin Pensa and Vallée), and while some of its themes may come across as preachy and over-bearing at times, it never upsets the balance too much to what is an impressive piece of work.
As brilliantly as those technical aspects are, the film truly rests on the head of its lead, and it’s safe to say that Witherspoon does an exceptional job. In the news for a few negative reasons recently, the Oscar winner redeems herself with what is undoubtedly her finest work thus far. Since her win for her portrayal of June Carter in Walk The Line back in 2006, Witherspoon has perhaps fallen down the pecking order slightly. Her recent efforts like This Means War or How Do You Know have failed to impress, while her best work of late has been supporting (Mud) or producing (Gone Girl) but she is still an actress of immense talent, and it’s not surprising that this project in particular spoke to her.
While the huge, bulging rucksack that her character painfully carries through the heat of the desert carries everything Cheryl will need, Witherspoon strips herself down to the bare essentials. Throwing away the usual glitz and glamour, this is a raw, painful but enormously involving performance that you just cannot take your eyes off. Sure she is on-screen for almost the entire movie, but Witherspoon’s dominance of it is remarkable, bold and brave, and is the sort of performance that not only reminds us of her considerable talents, but also one that walks away through with awards. With the amounts of miles she covers, she probably deserves it.
Wild is sure to be one of the films to be under consideration come awards season. Heartbreaking, touching and surprisingly funny, if sometimes a little melodramatic, it is a tremendous piece of work thanks to its energetic narrative and beautiful direction. If that wasn’t enough to tempt you, seek it out for its remarkable central performance from Reese Witherspoon, who reaffirms both her considerable talents and her place amongst the best in Hollywood. Fantastic.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie ★ ★ ★ ★
Scott Davis
Originally published October 20, 2014. Updated April 13, 2018.
