CALL ME SNAKE

Some months ago, I reprinted a negative quote from the New Yorker (with some reference to “self-indulgence,” I believe) about the film version of INTO THE WILD. I hadn’t seen the movie at the time, and I was chastised by a reader for having raised doubts about what was in her opinion an excellent film. Now that I’ve seen the movie, I have to agree with her. It was extremely well done which caught me by surprise as some of Sean Penn’s earlier directorial efforts were painfully bad. This one, however, was well-acted and had a great, haunting soundtrack. GRIZZLY MAN–a documentary with some similarities in plot–was highly praised, but INTO THE WILD was far superior. In fact, it may cause me to rethink my whole strategy of reviewing movies before I see them.