Adventurous and Engaging: Into the Wild

Into the Wild (Advance Screening)
Directed by Sean Penn
To be released September 21, 2007

This tale based on a remarkable true story about a young man seeking desperately to cut himself off from civilization and explore the wonders of nature succeeds wondrously in capturing his spirit and determination. The film is full of beautiful scenery and accompanied by an impressive array of mostly original songs. It is truly possible to get into the mindset of Chris, the main character, and the film makes an awesome journey with him. Emile Hirsch, who I have been a fan of since his breakout role in 2002's "The Emperor's Club", wholeheartedly throws himself into the role of Chris, losing and gaining weight as necessary and delivering an accomplished performance. The film is sprinkled with supporting players who do a marvelous job, including Catherine Keener, Jena Malone, Vince Vaughn, and Kristen Stewart. Especially of note is Hal Holbrook as a man who becomes, like everyone else, very emotionally attached to Chris. The film features a healthy amount of humor thrown in here and there, and director Sean Penn (who answered questions following the screening, though said nothing particularly memorable) crafts a lengthy adventure which stays actively interesting the whole time.

B+