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The doggy bag will never catch on in Paris Life Mais non! The doggy bag will never catch on in Paris Cycling trip a great way to see Vietnam and Cambodia Life Cycling trip a great way to see Vietnam and Cambodia Sections * Film * Music * Books * Pipe Band Digest * Stage * Irish language Stories Tá bliain chorraitheach chinniúnach roimh Fhorbairt Feirste Irish language Tá bliain chorraitheach chinniúnach roimh Fhorbairt Feirste Raquel Pelzel has just the recipe for taking toast to the next level Arts Raquel Pelzel has just the recipe for taking toast to the next level Cult Movie: Day Of The Outlaw as much noir as Western Film Cult Movie: Day Of The Outlaw as much noir as Western Oscars 2016 - Ten great Irish Oscar moments Film Oscars 2016 - Ten great Irish Oscar moments Sections * Family Notices * Lives Remembered Stories Cocktail king Joe Gilmore, Belfast's barman to the stars Lives Remembered Cocktail king Joe Gilmore, Belfast's barman to the stars Lord Erne of Crom Castle was popular figure in Fermanagh Lives Remembered Lord Erne of Crom Castle was popular figure in Fermanagh ‘My brother loved to entertain with his music' Lives Remembered ‘My brother loved to entertain with his music' Falls Road artist was grand old man of sci-fi's golden age Notices Falls Road artist was grand old man of sci-fi's golden age Sections * Letters to the Editor * Leading article * Cartoons * Columnists Stories Arlene Foster right on Easter Rising and the Somme Columnists Arlene Foster right on Easter Rising and the Somme Election-mode Arlene Foster in old-school reshuffle Columnists Election-mode Arlene Foster in old-school reshuffle Cologne attacks highlight push to extremes Columnists Cologne attacks highlight push to extremes Time for a genuine Fresh Start at Stormont Leading article Time for a genuine Fresh Start at Stormont Sections * Photo of the Day * Graduation pictures * Picture galleries * Video diaries Stories Belfast Zoo animals enjoy the snow Picture Galleries Belfast Zoo animals enjoy the snow New Year celebrations from around the world Picture Galleries New Year celebrations from around the world Storm Frank lashes Ireland Picture Galleries Storm Frank lashes Ireland Harland & Wolff Welders win the Steel & Sons Cup 2015 Picture Galleries Harland & Wolff Welders win the Steel & Sons Cup 2015 (BUTTON) Irishnews Logo (BUTTON) * Login User / Logout * Subscriptions * Home * Today's paper * News Sections + Back + Northern Ireland news + UK News + Republic of Ireland news + World news + Political news + Education news + Healthcare news + Nama + Refugee Crisis * Sport Sections + Back + GAA Football + GAA Fixtures + Club Call + Hurling and camogie + Soccer + Boxing + Rugby + Golf + Athletics + Off The Fence + Racing + Opinion + Other Sports * Business Sections + Back + July Budget + Business news + Economics + Personal finance + Business columnists + Business Insight + Markets * Life Sections + Back + Family and Parenting + Property + Holidays & Travel + Fashion & Beauty + Motors/drive + Food & drink + Celebrity + Gardening + Environment + Health + Faith Matters + TV and Radio * Arts Sections + Back + Film + Music + Books + Pipe Band Digest + Stage + Irish language * Notices Sections + Back + Family Notices + Lives Remembered * Opinion Sections + Back + Letters to the Editor + Leading article + Cartoons + Columnists * Puzzles * Photos Sections + Back + Photo of the Day + Graduation pictures + Picture galleries + Video diaries * Our journalists * Horoscopes ____________________ (BUTTON) Search (BUTTON) Life Wild is a drama about one woman's foot-blistering quest to rediscover her 'best self' in the wake of a family tragedy. Wild is a drama about one woman's foot-blistering quest to rediscover her 'best self' in the wake of a family tragedy. * * * * * 16 January, 2015 00:00 With a screenplay by Nick Hornby, Jean-Marc Vallée's often dreamlike film is based on the true story of Cheryl Strayed's trek up the1,000-mile-long Pacific Coast Trail. David Roy watched WITH its 'worthy' themes and almost total reliance upon an intensely committed performance from lead actress (and former Oscar-winner) Reese Witherspoon, Wild is pretty much a shoe-in for some statuette-based love at this year's Academy Awards. It's kind of a 'chick flick' but guys will also get plenty from this well-made tale of a plucky used-and-abused young woman who takes the theraputic concept of 'me time' to literal extremes. In the mid-'90s Cheryl Strayed set off on a 1,100 mile hike up the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) having nearly destroyed her life through self-destructive behaviour in the wake of a family tragedy. The PCT runs north from the US/Mexico border through California, Oregon and Washington to Manning Park in British Columbia, Canada, meaning Cheryl must negotiate baking hot desert, freezing cold mountain ranges and assorted wild critters. Even though the 20-something has never hiked before, such harsh environs seem mild compared to the grotty Portland flop-houses she's been getting naked and shootin heroin in. Jean-Marc Vallee's film enables audiences to take this wild trip of self-realisation and acceptance with Cheryl (Withersoon), riding the tides of her stream of consciousness as memories good and bad flash before her eyes out in Mother Nature's backyard. While Cheryl Strayed's (Witherspoon) commentary can slide into hippy-dippy pseudo-profundity a little too often - she loves to quote poetry and her favourite feminist authors - at heart she's a tough cookie who's not afraid to unleash a cleansing stream of profanity when the occasion demands it. And, when she confides to a fellow hiker that "I think I feel more alone in my real life than I do our here," you may feel a twinge of existential empathy - just keep shovelling popcorn into the void where your soul should be until it passes. Cheryl begins her epic quest of self-discovery as a laughably inexperienced hiker, lugging a pack that weighs twice as much as her own skinny knobbly-kneed self while crushing her toe nails off in boots that are a size too small. While some of her exploits are played for comic relief in Nick Hornby's expertly assembled screenplay (which does offer frequent moments of underplayed humour which help the film's two-hour running time slip by quite quickly), we quickly start to become worried that this vulnerable young woman will at any second be devoured by wolves, bitten by a deadly snake and/or abducted, raped and murdered by the kind of salty characters who tend to have good reasons for living out in the middle of nowhere. We also gradually learn all about the hell of a rather different kind that Cheryl has already been through, having thrown herself into a life of promiscuity and hard drugs as coping mechanism when her mother (an excellent Laura Dern) is diagnosed with terminal cancer of the spine. We glimpse Cheryl's family life in flashback, reliving the early years when she and her brother Lief (Keene McRae) would be offered the same "knuckle sandwiches" their father (Jason Newell) would deliver to their mother's face on a regular basis until the three were forced to flee and start over. Naturally, the usual ego-centric angst of the siblings' teenage years leaves them with plenty of guilt to deal with once the C word comes along, ensuring Cheryl's inner demons are good and hungry when the inevitable happens. Witherspoon easily carries the film from beginning to end with her best performance since Tracey Flick in Alexander Payne's superb high-school satire, Election. Much like Cheryl's real journey, Wild is occasionally hard going. Yet ultimately, it's a worthwhile cinema experience that's often quite often beautiful to behold - even if it's not quite on the same level of dramatic based-on-a-true-story greatness as director Vallee's previous slice of life, Dallas Buyers Club. Wild may inspire you to pack a bag and head for the great outdoors on your very own voyage of self-discovery - but for goodness sake be sure to wear the right sized boots. Expect its star to swap her clod-hoppers for even more uncomfortable heels as she totters up to collect her gong on Oscar night. * * * * * 16 January, 2015 00:00 Life More in Life Eating Out: The goodness is in the food at Goodness Rocks Eating Out: The goodness is in the food at Goodness Rocks TV Review: Cold War spy thriller Deutschland 83 TV Review: Cold War spy thriller Deutschland 83 Raquel Pelzel has just the recipe for taking toast to the next level Raquel Pelzel has just the recipe for taking toast to the next level Most Read * Beware of tax on gifting property to family members * Increase in babies born with 'tongue-tie' * Diagnosing Dyspraxia in your child * Irishman in breastfeeding London Underground row Today's horoscope Horoscope __________________________________________________________________ See a different horoscope: [Select sign] Stay connected Get the day's headlines delivered directly to your inbox ____________________ (BUTTON) Sign Up __________________________________________________________________ Sections News PSNI 'hasn't acted on Lisa Dorrian burial information' 1. PSNI 'hasn't acted on Lisa Dorrian burial information' 2. Families question delays in charging 'Stakeknife' Life Cycling trip a great way to see Vietnam and Cambodia 1. Cycling trip a great way to see Vietnam and Cambodia 2. Cairn Wood: Battle to save amenity from being sold off Business ‘The Jungle' named ‘thrilling' at Outdoor NI Awards 1. ‘The Jungle' named ‘thrilling' at Outdoor NI Awards 2. Northern Ireland's top buildings come under the spotlight Arts Raquel Pelzel has just the recipe for taking toast to the next level 1. Raquel Pelzel has just the recipe for taking toast to the next level 2. Catch up with: The X-Files on Amazon Prime Columnists Arlene Foster right on Easter Rising and the Somme 1. Arlene Foster right on Easter Rising and the Somme 2. Election-mode Arlene Foster in old-school reshuffle Sport Ross McGowan leads Joburg Open at the halfway point 1. Ross McGowan leads Joburg Open at the halfway point 2. 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