Hal Holbrook steals the show

Rating: 8/10 (15 September 2018)

Watching 'Into the Wild' again a few years after first watching it found me unprepared once more for the shocking realisation that it was based on a true story.
There's so much anger and self-abnegation (and self absorption) in the central character that it seems too far-fetched. Maybe we all go through such phases on the rocky road to adulthood but few with such driving intensity and single-mindedness as Chris McCandless. The assorted cast of fellow travellers and strays seem to share this astonishment and exasperation in their futile attempts to steer Chris from his path.
This is a deeply moving film that leaves you thinking about its message for a long time. It gives us a glimpse of the lives of the marginal characters at society's edge, all to some extent chewed up and spat out by 'Life'. It's a tough world and there are no easy answers.
A fine and brave central performance, and excellent sympathetic performances from the ensemble cast. For me though Hal Holbrook, despite occupying the screen for mere minutes, steals the show with a heartbreaking performance of searing truthfulness.