Into the Wild

Sean Penn's Into the Wild (2007) seems destined to be misunderstood. Critics, faux-Bohemians and youths think it celebrates "doing your own thing," even if that means dying alone in the wilderness. Detractors, not unreasonably, denounce Christopher McCandless as an irresponsible moron. But Wild is as much cautionary tale as inspirational story, though it's hard not to like Emile Hirsch's headstrong hero.

Christopher McCandless (Emile Hirsch) graduates college dissatisfied with his middle class life. He drops out of the world, hoping to hitchhike, bum and trek his way north to Alaska, guided by Jack London and Leo Tolstoy novels. McCandless meets a variety of colorful characters, traveling between Mexico and Alaska. When McCandless finally reaches his Promised Land, he finds more than he's bargained for.

Based on Jon Krakauer's book, Wild provides a remarkable character study. McCandless has no obvious reason to rebel; he's got good enough grades to reach Harvard, money, loving parents (William Hurt and Marcia Gay Harden) and an understanding sister (Jena Malone). McCandless recalls, of all people, T.E. Lawrence: he discovers his parents' relationship is built on lies, germinating a nonconformist streak and cynicism towards social convention. This disaffection doesn't coalesce into a coherent worldview; it rarely does in 20-somethings. He's just determined to break loose.

Wild's critics argue that McCandless is more moron than messiah. Chris imagines himself a cross between Thoreau and Jeremiah Johnson, but proves completely out-of-his depth. He can't hold down a job or stay out of trouble; when he actually reaches Alaska his days are numbered. But this critique feels remarkably small-minded. Whatever his shortcomings, McCandless isn't some dilettante goofing around in the woods. Everything's a calculated risk, whether bumming train rides, working for a petty crook (Vince Vaughn) or rafting without a helmet. Some reviewers suggest his odyssey as a drawn-out suicide, though that seems extreme; McCandless enjoys living on his own terms.

If Wild were a paean to recklessness, it would elide the scenes of McCandless's parents agonizing over his disappearance. Penn finds more meaning in McCandless's relationships than his solitude. His ambition impresses a hippie couple (Catherine Keener and Brian H. Dierker), even as they knock him for lack of commonsense. McCandless turns down the affections of teenaged Tracy (Kristen Stewart), forging a deeper connection through their love of music. The most affecting scenes come later on, where Chris befriends a retired leather worker (Hal Holbrook). The man's so impressed by Chris's spirit, he offers to adopt him.

Sean Penn provides arguably his best directorial work. Wild's a beautiful film to watch, Eric Gautier's breathtaking Alaskan photographs provides the grandeur of a London or Kerouac novel. Penn skillfully employs flashback scenes and careful editing to drive the story home; the show benefits from these elliptical digressions, along with a mellow score by Eddie Vedder and Jerry Hannan. Only tiresome narration by Chris's sister clunks.

Emile Hirsch followed Wild with high profile roles in Milk, Speed Racer and Savages but hasn't achieved stardom. He's a revelation here, subtlety capturing each shade of McCandless's personality. Hirsch shows Chris from all sides, an ambitious, soul-searching charmer with few delusions about himself; beneath his grandiose pronouncements lurks an awareness that he's full of shit, yet he plows on anyway. He's brash, likeable, determined yet quixotic - a beautifully-realized character.

Penn surrounds Hirsch with colorful support. Marcia Gay Harden and William Hurt make a strong impression with little screen time; Penn accords them considerable sympathy, despite their obvious flaws. Catherine Keener and Brian H. Dierker shine as their bohemian counterparts. Hal Holbrook (Lincoln) earned an Oscar nod for his emotional cameo. Vince Vaughn does extremely well playing against type. Hot-to-trot Kristen Stewart gives her best performance outside of Adventureland.

Into the Wild makes a lasting impact. It's wrong to view Chris McCandless as a martyr, but equally wrong to dismiss him as an imbecile. Anyone who's been young can relate to being ambitious, confused and disaffected. For most people though, it's just a vague discontent bubbling up between interminable job hunting and rueful nostalgia. McCandless actually did something about it.

Milk

Tonight's entry in Groggy's Oscar-thon is Gus Van Sant's Milk. In spite of the considerable awards hype it has received, it's a fairly typical entry in the sanitized Hollywood biopic genre. That it's getting Best Picture and Best Actor buzz isn't overly surprising - the subject matter and the film's format as a standard glossy Hollywood biopic are the stuff Oscar gold is made of - but anyone who thinks that's indicative of its quality, or that there's anything original about it, should be wary.

The film tells the life story - well, the important parts - of Harvey Milk (Sean Penn), the gay rights activist who rose to position of San Francisco City Supervisor in the late '70s, leading in no small way to the legitimization of the gay rights movement - and his assassination at the hands of disgruntled fellow Supervisor Dan White (Josh Brolin). We see key points in Harvey's life - as a closeted New York insurance salesman who falls in love with Scott Smith (James Franco), comes out of the closet and lives as a camera salesman in San Francisco, his disgust at anti-gay discrimination and rallying the gay community, his early campaigns for city council, his breakup with Scott and messy relationship with Jack Lira (Diego Luna), his victory and successful lobbying for gay rights, and of course his fatal encounter with Dan White.

Milk touches all the bases of the slick by-the-numbers Hollywood biopic that we're all so familiar with. Start out with a post-mortem framing device (in this case a narrated tape recording). Give us a quirky outsider hero. Give him a task to complete for selfish gain. Let that task blossom into a greater cause, and have protagonist achieve success against seemingly all odds. Throw in personal turmoil. Build to tragic finale. Insert archival news footage and narration to plug up narrative gaps and keep the story moving. It's all adequately done, but it's been done so many times before it's hard to be impressed by it.

The movie's biggest failure is in its character development. Like many if not most biopics, its characterization is largely tertiary; it projects the image of Harvey Milk, but doesn't really explore who he was as a person, beyond the cause he stood for. His relationship and personal life is dealt with rather perfunctory manner, and even those who know nothing about Harvey can guess the trajectory of his relationships with the loyal Scott and testy Jack. Dan White is a more interesting character, but remains similarly underdeveloped; we learn nothing about what's driving him, aside from some allusions to his standing as outsider (why? We don't really know) and a crass insinuation that he may himself be a closeted gay. Supporting characters don't even rise to that level; they're just background noise, in large part. Only Cleve Jones (Emile Hirsch), the loud-mouthed streetwalker-turned-activist, stands out in any real way, and its his absurd, obnoxious geekiness rather than depth as a character that sets him apart.

Arthouse director Gus Van Sant (Elephant, Gerry) is at the helm, giving a directoral performance little better than a high-paid Hollywood hack. Everything is technically proficient but barely more than adequate. The movie has a cold, produced feel; even the film's emotional high points - the near-riot, Jack's suicide, and the final assassination - have a curiously muted and distant feel Perhaps it's because we know what's coming, but one would expect such a talented director as Van Sant to make it more interesting than he ultimately does.

The acting is only as good as the script allows. Sean Penn plays Harvey Milk as a nice guy with a cause, but not much beyond that. Penn isn't bad, but he's given far better performances and it certainly isn't worthy of particular distinction. Josh Brolin does an admirable job with an underwritten and underdeveloped part; I'm reminded of his turn as President Bush in W last fall, where he gave a similarly heroic but fruitless effort. Emile Hirsch, James Franco, Victor Garber, Diego Luna and Alison Pill all do yeoman's work, but their characters are little more than thumbnail sketches.

I won't say Milk is a huge disappointment; it does what it wants to do adequately, but little more. It's a standard Hollywood "life story", with all the inherent flaws and limitations. If it turns some people onto gay rights and renews recognition, then all the power to it, but as a work of cinema it's nothing special.

Rating: 6/10 - Use Your Own Discretion