Testament to the film that reaction is so divided

Rating: 8/10 (21 September 2009)

I thought this was a beautifully made, thoughtful, well acted, photographed and directed film. Very moving and poetic to me. I could relate to and remember a period during my own youth when I felt very disaffected, detached, and contemptuous of "society." Fortunately, I never had the courage (and foolhardiness) to take such an extreme approach to that situation as the protagonist of this film did.
I find myself agreeing with both those who loved the movie and also those who hated it or are harshly critical of the way that Alex (aka Christopher) lived his last couple of years. And I think that is a testament to how good this movie is. It shows both sides of Alex's character. The good and the bad. Yes, it's terrible that he couldn't bring himself to contact his family and I don't think the movie suggests otherwise. On the other hand, this total break with his past (at least for a while) seemed to be something he needed to really feel free. I can kind of relate to that as well.
Too bad for him though that he was so foolish as to go into the wild with out the proper training, knowledge and equipment. If he hadn't made that fatal mistake, I think he would have crossed that river and returned to his family and society, greatly enriched by his experiences.