Wild (2014)

Very Cool!!!

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

The film had its interesting moments but Witherspoon's horrible character she portrayed and the many flashbacks got in the way and interrupted the movie's flow. I found myself just not caring, liking or sympathizing with Witherspoon's character in the least. I mean, many people have rough, tragic lives but we all don't go off the deep end and become drug-addicted, foul mouthed, adulterous, disrespectful, promiscuous sluts. There is nothing noble or overcoming about this movie. It's a story about an unlikeable, mentally dysfunctional woman trying to resolve her problems by taking a hike. Instead of wasting 2 hours on this dog, I should have taken a hike away from my TV.

I usually wouldn't rip a movie apart like I'm about to do because most movies I watch don't irritate, irk or bug this heck out of me. This one did, but maybe that's just a personal thing. I hated this movie! Even though Reese Witherspoon acted the part very well, the movie was pretty boring, very long and drawn out (it dragged) and it was an overly dramatic flick that would not end soon enough. Some of the editing was sub-par with abrupt cross-overs from her memories back to her present-time. Granted, I should have never watched a movie like this on the FXM channel, which is not high- definition and I had to deal with commercials as well. It was by far, the worst movie I've ever had the pleasure of wasting time on. The movie itself was not awful (including the plot), just the little pieces and parts that caused it to drag on. And to think the movie could have been even longer because of the journey she took on that trail. I'm not going to give it a low rating because of my awful experience watching it, but it's not going to get a 7 Star rating. I have to go see what others are saying about it....out of curiosity. It has its own good qualities, so don't take my review of it at too much face value. You really have to watch it and form your own opinion. I think watching it in High Definition would have made a much better experience. Maybe the poor editing issue I experienced was due to that alone.

Oh yeah, I forgot....didn't pay attention when I chose to watch this....the warning sign was there all along...a film with Laura Dern in it. This tale, whether based on real story or not, is true 100% crap. Music choices were OK though but not featured enough to soothe the pain of having to sit through the disjointed dysfunction stuff. The main character Cheryl seems incapable of learning anything or making sense of anything that happens in her life. I presume she's a stream of consciousness kind of person who is so off in cloud cuckoo-land that practicalities are anathema. There's no entertainment or education to be found here. The Hornby treatment is perhaps novel but not enough to warrant this dire waste of your time.

Quite simply, if you want jaw dropping action or revelations then this movie is not for you. I walked with her. Through the entire film. I was there. I saw her pain and felt it. It didn't have me sobbing into my hanky because it was not a pityfest. It was plain and simple. This woman wanted to change or die. I wanted her to make it. I watched her suffer and rage and fall to pieces. Then i watched her get up, dust off and take on another day. I was this woman and I wanted to make it to. Reese Witherspoon as always gave it her all. The only reason it dropped a point was some of the writing was far too small and squiggly for me to read so I had to pause it to check what it said. If you are feeling a bit lost or displaced or at a crossroads in life, give this a watch and see her STRYDE