Fascinating

Rating: 8/10 (11 July 2009)

I watched this movie on Wednesday and it has been percolating through my mind ever since. It's not that it has awoken a desire to strike out for Alaska like the hero of the piece Christopher McCandless. Nor do I find his ethics or morality particularly palatable. It's just a good picture of an intelligent young person who does not share the capitalist dream, or the notion that relationships with others should be the basis of life.
Some critics have characterised him as cruel, because he distances himself so fully from his family, especially his sister. This is not a problem for me. My problem with him is that he doesn't fully perceive his dependence on society, even when he's out in the wild. Perhaps that's director Sean Penn's intention. I think I'll seek out the book sometime soon.
But these quibbles do nothing to demean a film which is well crafted and beautifully shot. It should be watched, and watched more than once.