Wild

Take chances in life. This is something i tell young people when i get the chance. I did, when i was only 23 years old. I went all by myself to Scotland, to see a girl i met in Spain for a few days. We stayed in contact and she invited me over to Scotland. My family thought i was crazy going over there all by myself, since i only met her for a few days in Spain. I never regret that i packed my bags and left. I had a great time in Scotland, and the memories will stay with me. I still travel a lot, and so far i have been to 15 countries, and continue to visit new countries. Even if i am getting older, i keep on living as good as i can, because i feel you should not care about age. It is just a number. I honestly don´t care about having the perfect house, or how i should dress myself among people. I am Daniel, all the time, anywhere. Sometimes we have to make choices, like taking a trip somewhere, to reload our batteries. For me personally i feel that travelling helped me develope me more, than just staying in Sweden, going to the same locations. Then there are those who really go for an adventure. Travelling for months in different countries, this looks like a lot of fun, and must be a great adventure. Have anyone of you by any chance read the novel Wild : From Lost To Found On The Pacific Crest Trail, by author Cheryl Strayed ? She wrote this novel, after she made an incredible journey on 1,100 mile hike on the Pacific Crest Trail. The novel became a huge success, telling the story of Cheryl who had to make a choice, and she decided to go on a personal journey to see if she could reach her destination. Wild is a film based on these true events, taking from the novel Wild : From Lost To Found On The Pacific Crest Trail. Director Jean-Marc Vallée is mostly known for his films C.R.A.Z.Y, The Young Victoria, and one of my personal favourite films Dallas Buyers Club. Wild is definetely a different film from his previous work, with actor Reese Witherspoon in the lead role as Cheryl Strayed. Is this film based on a true story as good as i hoped for, or is this a film that looks good on the cover but does not deliver enough quality ?

In the year 1995, Cheryl Strayed ( Reese Witherspoon ) have had enough of her personal problems. She have a dream that one day, she would want to go all the way on the Pacific Crest Trail, all by herself. One day, when she decide to do this, she packs everything she needs on this journey, and begin walking. She have no idea how this will affect her life, and the experiences that follows with this incredible journey.

I am not sure if you have seen Sean Penn´s brilliant drama film Into The Wild. This film was based on the true story of Christopher McCandless, who was an american adventurer. He was found dead in the Stampede Trail in Alaska. He decided to leave his ordinary life and live in the nature of Alaska. Even if Into The Wild is very different from the film Wild, i can not help to feel that i see a pattern here. While the story of Christopher McCandless felt more sad, and very emotional, the story of Chery Strayed in Wild feels more light, and maybe not as deep as i would have wanted it to be. It almost feels like director Jean-Marc Vallée tried to make Wild looks almost like a different version of Into The Wild, but somewhere the plot never really lift as high as Sean Penn´s powerful story. I would not say that Wild is a bad film, not at all. If you compare this film to many other releases that came out last year, this is deffinetely worth your time. Especially since Reese Witherspoon is really good in the lead role as Cheryl Strayed. One big difference from Reese usual characters ( mostly in comedies ), is that here she really tried to find a much more natural character, instead of drowning in romantic clichés. As we follow her on her journey, we meet people a long the way, who help Cheryl to make her journey more pleasant. The scenery looks great, and it feels like this must have been a rough journey, both emotionally and physically. Another detail i enjoy is the story between Cheryl and her mother Barbara ( Laura Dern ). Even if you don´t see these scenes often you can feel the chemistry between them. Wild is a film with a very important issue, if you need a change in your life, take a chance and do a personal journey. Sometimes we need to make a decision, even what people in your life feels. I can relate to what Cheryl felt, as i did my own personal journey to Scotland and learned to look at the world in a completely different way. I would still say that Into The Wild is a better film, simply because the story feels deeper and more interesting. Still, Wild have both solid performances and an interesting story. Life is short, take chances. I am glad i did, and i still do sometimes.

Rating: DDD