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Blu-ray Review Wild Blu-ray Review (1 Viewer)

Matt Hough

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Matt Hough
Wild Blu-ray Review

A true-life story of a woman’s trek through the wild on a journey of self-discovery and reflection, Jean-Marc Vallee’s Wild makes for mesmerizing viewing. In the piecemeal fashion that the story is told and the arresting performance of Reese Witherspoon in the central role, Wild grips the attention from the get-go and holds it immovably for almost two hours. While one might have liked a little more exploration of some of the scenes in flashbacks to give even greater depth to some fascinating peripheral characters, what’s here is robust and hearty. It’s a fine film.



Studio: Fox

Distributed By: N/A

Video Resolution and Encode: 1080P/AVC

Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1

Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HDMA, Spanish 5.1 DD, French 5.1 DD

Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish

Rating: R

Run Time: 1 Hr. 55 Min.

Package Includes: Blu-ray, Digital Copy, UltraViolet

keep case in a slipcover

Disc Type: BD50 (dual layer)

Region: A

Release Date: 03/31/2015

MSRP: $39.99




The Production Rating: 4/5

After the sudden death of her mother (Laura Dern) from cancer, Cheryl Strayed (Reese Witherspoon) (as she comes to call herself) spirals into an abyss of sex and drugs leading to a divorce from husband Paul (Thomas Sadoski) and a realization that she needs to do something monumental to test herself in order to find the woman inside that her mother might be proud of. So, she decides to take a 1,100 mile hike along the Pacific Crest Trail, a journey that takes her 94 days and amid the pleasures and dangers of the trail, allows her to reflect on her life until then and her aspirations for the future.

The screenplay by Nick Hornby based on the book by Cheryl Strayed takes a fragmented approach to the storytelling introducing us to Cheryl mid-journey and then forcing us to catch up to who she is and what her purpose and motivations are in scrap-happy fashion, a most interesting and involving way to tell a story. Some of the flashbacks are immediately relatable, others are cryptic at first and only become clear and important as we get further into Cheryl’s story, but they’re all necessary (and some possibly needed even further embellishment, especially scenes dealing with her brother Leif (Keene McRae) and their close bond amid the turmoil of having an abusive father). The location photography as we journey with the determined Cheryl through gorgeous but sometimes treacherous terrain (snakes, high cliffs, rocks, snow, filthy water) offers some stunning views of the Pacific northwest (though not picture postcard pretty; these images seem more gritty and lifelike). Director Jean-Marc Vallee wisely doesn’t telegraph the dangers Cheryl encounters: she makes the acquaintance of several people along her three month-long journey, and some are just as they seem while others are not. We experience Cheryl’s wariness with the same kind of trepidation that she does as these characters lumber into her life, and as she’s no inexperienced angel with people (though she’s completely inexperienced as a hiker as early scenes struggling with her backpack, tent, and stove attest), we expect her to be able to take care of herself in most situations. Still, that little bit of the unknown possibly springing upon her is continuously present and keeps viewer interest maximized.

Reese Witherspoon is in almost every shot of the film (except for flashbacks where Cheryl Strayed’s real-life daughter plays her mother at a young age), and her performance is fierce, provocative, and real whether enacting a heroin addict and sexual libertine or a loving sister and determined daughter. Though only nine years senior to Witherspoon, Laura Dern manages to etch a completely believable portrait of a mother whose late-in-life blossoming is curtailed by a debilitating illness. Thomas Sadoski as Cheryl’s ex-husband Paul remains loving and supportive of his ex-wife sending her care packages along her route and finally allowing himself to say goodbye in a touching final note to her. Keene McRae shows genuine, believable grief as Cheryl’s brother who’s horrified by his mother’s sudden illness and death. Among the excellent cameo performances offered as men Cheryl meets along her journey are W. Earl Brown as a good ole boy farmer, Kevin Rankin as a fellow hiker with far more experience than Cheryl, Cliff De Young as someone who helps Cheryl with her unwieldy backpack, Mo McRae as a magazine writer who mistakes Cheryl as a female hobo in the film’s most amusing scene, and Brian Van Holt as a park ranger who thinks he might just have gotten lucky with the needy hiker.



Video Rating: 4.5/5  3D Rating: NA

Shot digitally mostly with the Arri Alexa camera, the film’s 2.40:1 theatrical aspect ratio is faithfully presented in a 1080p transfer using the AVC codec. Director of photography Yves Belanger uses only natural light throughout to film the scenes resulting in images that seem on occasion to be slightly desaturated in color depth and richness. Still, sharpness is consistently excellent, and contrast has been also well maintained. Black levels are very good but perhaps lacking just that last bit of inkiness. The movie has been divided into 36 chapters.



Audio Rating: 4.5/5

The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 sound mix offers a well above average mix of natural sounds from the varying terrains spread through the entire soundfield. Though the movie doesn’t have an original background score, source music and pop hits from Simon and Garfunkel get a nice spread through the fronts and rears. Dialogue has been well recorded and has been placed in the center channel.



Special Features Rating: 4/5

Audio Commentary: director Jean-Marc Vallée and producer Bruna Papandrea are joined forty-minutes in by Fox Searchlight executive David Greenbaum for a low-key discussion on the making of the film.

The Real Cheryl Strayed (8:37, HD): the author of the original book introduces herself and is discussed by actors Thomas Sadoski, Reese Witherspoon, and Laura Dern and by director Jean-Marc Vallée.

The Real Location Is the Best Location (8:45, HD): the company returned to some of the actual locations walked originally by Cheryl though much of the movie was shot solely in Oregon. Reese Witherspoon and Jean-Marc Vallée both proclaim the film as a love letter to the Pacific northwest.

How Much Does A Monster Weigh? (3:46, HD): the components of Cheryl’s seventy-pound backpack are displayed by production designer John Paino.

The Pacific Crest Trail Interactive Map (HD): an interactive map of Cheryl’s hike presents eleven markers along the trail that take you to various points in the movie for brief excerpts.

Deleted Scenes (7:49, HD): five scenes with optional commentary by the director can be watched individually or in montage.

Promotional Featurettes (HD): seven brief studio-produced introductions to various aspects of the production feature film clips, behind-the-scenes looks at the filming, and sound bites repeated from one featurette to the next by director Jean-Marc Vallée, producers Bruna Papandrea and Nathan Ross, author Cheryl Strayed, screenwriter Nick Hornby, director of photography Yves Belanger and actors Reese Witherspoon and Laura Dern.
  • Bringing the Book into the Wild (3:35)
  • Reese Witherspoon in the Wild (3:55)
  • Wild: 94 Days, 1100 Miles (3:18)
  • Directing Wild (3:58)
  • Making Wild (5:21)
  • Pacific Crest Trail (4:07)
  • Real Locations (3:21)

Experiencing the PCT (1:47, HD): author Cheryl Strayed expresses her love for the trail that she hopes her book and the film will generate an even greater interest in.

Stills Gallery (HD): twenty-four stills and behind-the-scenes shots from the movie are offered in a step-through gallery.

Theatrical Trailer (2:02, HD)

Promo Trailers (HD): Birdman, Cake, Gone Girl.

Digital Copy/Ultraviolet: code sheet enclosed in the case



Overall Rating: 4.5/5

An engrossing journey of self-discovery and self-realization, Wild ranks as one of the better films of 2014. The Blu-ray release offers excellent picture and sound and a raft of bonus features that expand on the story portrayed in the movie. Recommended!


Reviewed By: Matt Hough


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