Society - you ugly breed

Rating: 10/10 (24 June 2008)

Sean Penn directed and wrote an excellent film about a young boy named Chris (played by Emile Hirsh) who literally gave away all of his money and went off on an adventure to try to identify with himself and leave behind the world that he couldn't fit in. During the adventure he relates to many people that help guide him to his long journey to Alaska where he will live alone Into the Wild.
Perhaps it's the fact that I can relate to Chris's character myself where I feel like I can't live like everyone else with the 9 to 5 lifestyle. The pressure of everyday beats down on you where you just want to leave everything but don't have the courage to do so. I consider Chris McCandless a hero and perhaps one day I can break out of this shell and be free just as he does in the film.
Eddie Vedder's soundtrack was perfect for the film. I'll admit that Pearl Jam is my favorite band (I wish I could see Rats live), but it doesn't mean that Vedder could screw up a film. In this case, he was completely on. The song society is my personal favorite. The lyrics are right on to the film's message.
All the supporting performances were great. Vince Vaughn (not being a fan) was the biggest surprise to me as he was very good for the role. You'll see other familiar faces such as Catherine Keener, Marcia gay Harden, and Kristen Stewart. Interestingly Hal Holbrook was nominated for an Oscar even though he wasn't in the film until an hour and forty-five minutes later.
This will easily make my top three favorite films of 2007.
My verdict, 9.5/10