Tag Archives: laura dern

Wild (2014)

My Ratings: 4.2/5.

“If your Nerve, deny you – Go above your Nerve” – EMILY DICKINSON and Cheryl Strayed.

A woman solo-hikes 1,100 miles in the Wild in order to redeem her past; an adventure, a wish, a challenge accepted only in the hope of a better future.

With zero experience on hiking and with the heaviest backpack ever, Cheryl (Reese Witherspoon) climbs up the Pacific Crest Trail accompanied only with her determination and childhood memories, especially of her Mom (Laura Dern).

wild-poster2Wild is actually based on Cheryl Strayed’s memoir by the name ‘Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail’.

Directed by Jean-Marc Vallée, the film brilliantly emphasizes on the bonding between human solitude and natural wilderness; it’s underlines the need for us to be one with nature in order to revive ourselves, a journey of self realization.

It is said that Reese Witherspoon had to compete with actresses like  Jennifer LawrenceScarlett Johansson and Emma Watson before she finally bagged the role. And she did look the part.

Oscar nominations for both Reese Witherspoon (Actress in a Leading Role) and Laura Dern (Actress in a Supporting Role) performances and so well deserved nominations.

Awesome editing by Martin Pensa and Jean-Marc Vallée, a lot of flashback memories put in but the film seams to travel back and forth effortlessly.

Though it’s a story of adventure but Wild is a relatively slow paced film, shown entirely from the perspective of a woman – it’s about her conflicts, her fear, her insecurities and her achievements.

A genuine story told in style.

If you are up for nature, adventure and real emotions, then this film is for you.

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The Fault In Our Stars (2014)

My Ratings: 3.5

The fault in our stars is a very intelligent film with a great script.

In a subconscious level the film successfully manipulates our emotions and recycles the ever-popular theme of Romance to its maximum effect.

The teenage girl Hazel (outstanding performance by Shailene Woodley) with a permanent tube put to her nose which never lets the audience forget that she has lung cancer falls for this young, handsome and somewhat cocky Gus (enacted by talented Ansel Elgort) who has already lost one of his leg in his battle against cancer.

Hazel keeps reading a sad book about a girl who had cancer; the creepy author of the book Van Houten (Willem Dafoe) admits that he actually lost his child to cancer and … and ….

Yes, Gus’s best friend Isaac (Nat Wolff) is in the verge of losing his eyesight and the reason is of course cancer again.

In the film people affected by cancer are more in numbers than the non-affected ones; The fault in our stars is a love-story that pulls all the necessary strings to make sure that you are heart broken by the end of the show. You better be prepared.

So, from the very beginning the tone is set – we are unconsciously waiting for the grim inevitable to happen.

But this certainty of the uncertainty of Hazel and Gus’s lives makes them so much more lovable to us. Their emotions and vulnerability,  their innocent happiness, their distress, the feelings for each other, the wits and humors, affect us much more than any other clichéd girl-boy love story.

Based on the novel by John Green The fault in our stars is directed by Josh Boone (the Stuck in love director) but the spine of the film is undoubtedly the acting.

Both Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort need to be especially mentioned for their brilliant performances and also for sharing such terrific screen chemistry. They made their romance look so true yet ordinary so that all the teenage girls could perfectly relate to it and eventually get drowned in their own tears.

Even Laura Dern playing Hazel’s mom made her presence felt.

The fault in our stars also shows the very important aspect of how efficiently parents support their children (both emotionally and financially) and give them enough strength to fight against diseases as deadly as cancer.

A film often genuinely funny, sentimental to the extent of being manipulative but in the end I am convinced that the film does work (at least for a certain section of audience for sure).

The fault in our stars is a perfect teenage girl’s romantic fantasy made with the sole purpose to make you cry.

If that’s your cup of tea then go for it. No regrets.

Film trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ItBvH5J6ss

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