The movie poster for Into the Wild caught my interest a while ago but I only just managed to watch it.

Chris just finished college and instead of going on to grad school, he gives all his savings to a charity, packs his bag and goes off on a journey without telling any of his family. He backpacks through the US and South America but his ultimate destination is Alaska. Here he walks through the snow until he finds an abandoned bus where he stays. In the film, the story goes back and forth between Alaska and his memories of the journey that led him there while Chis’ sister narrates the entire story.

The movie is beautifully shot and I love traveling and have always been intrigued by the idea of going “into the wild” with just a backpack and no idea where I am going to end up so it is right up my alley. But it could have definitely used some more editing. It is unnecessarily long and loses itself in the beauty of nature once in a while. I didn’t like the main actor which, in this movie, is a big deal. I don’t remember having seen Emile Hirsch in anything else but I thought he lacked in charisma.

Into the Wild is based on a true story that Sean Penn wrote the screenplay for and directed it. I think he seems like the kind of guy who would actually go out into the wild himself which comes through in the detailed way nature is shown. It is like “nature” or “the wild” is actually a character in this film. It can be as gorgeous as it can be dangerous. Overall, the movie is probably only really interesting to people who like the outdoors and who like adventure. If you are interested in these kinds of things, as beautiful as this film is I would recommend you watch Motorcycle Diaries and Ewan McGregors documentary The Long Way Round first.

Milk is a biographical feature film about Harvey Milk, who was also the subject of the Oscar-winning documentary The Times of Harvey Milk. Since Milk was nominated for an Oscar and everyone has been writing and talking about it I won’t get into the story more than that.

First of, I have to say that I wasn’t as impressed with the film as I expected. Sean Penn, of course, was excellent (he really deserved the Academy Award…). What I liked

was that his Harvey Milk was definitely gay but it a very subtle way which I really haven’t seen on screen before. He only does what Hollywood seems to think are “typically gay movements” on rare occasions but somehow Sean managed to give off a sort of “gay vibe” over the entire course of the film (is that a politically correct thing to say? It is quite hard to write all this without offending anyone…). All I want to say is that Sean Penn is amazing.

Now, I do like Gus Van Sant’s work (somehow I, just then, had the urge to check if this is his real name, but surprisingly his actual name, according to IMDb, is much worse: Gus Greene Van Sant Junior… anyway) and with all the hype about the film I was possibly expecting too much but seemed to be waiting for “the greatest film of 2008″ to start and it never really did. I am trying to figure out what it was exactly that didn’t happen. Because the performances (not only Sean Penn) were spot on. Everyone really gave their best.

The story is interesting. Harvey Milk has had quite a life. The filmmaking was flawless. So what is it that bothered me? Maybe the film was just too perfect? Or maybe my expectations were too high? All I know is that I wasn’t really moved by it (and I am quite easily moved by films, I mean, I cried while watching Ally McBeal…). I went out of the movie theatre and was immediately back in reality. The film didn’t stick with me. I do honestly think that if I had never read or heard anything before watching the movie I would have found it to be average. Maybe a 7 out of 10. Now I am wondering if there is something wrong with me because everyone (EVERYONE) else seems to be absolutely elated by watching Milk…

And the Oscar goes to…

…Hugh Jackman

His performance at the Academy Awards is worthy of an Oscar! He dances, sings, simply performs as if there is nothing on earth he would rather do! What a great host.

The whole show was new and exciting. There have been some great improvements. It feels quicker and there is a theme to it, showing the audience how a film is being made from make-up to editing to sound mixing etc.

As for the actual Awards: I am quite pleased with a lot of them. Penélope Cruz really deserved the Supporting Actress Award for Vicky Cristina Barcelona, WALL – E was my favourite for Best Animation and Sean Penn did a swell job on Milk, but what’s up with giving an Oscar to Heath Ledger? I love him, his acting and especially his Joker, but couldn’t they have given him an Honorary Award or something like that? It is so unfair to the actors who are still alive. Obviously they had no chance!

But now the best thing about the 81st Academy Awards: Kate Winslet finally got the Oscar she should’ve gotten five times before! And she gave such a beautiful speech.

Tonight is the night we have all been waiting for! Yay! Personally I haven’t really seen a lot of the films that are up for awards, which is a pity. My absolute favourite to win is Kate Winslet though. She just really deserves it after having left the Oscars five times empty-handed.

The poll results from the last few weeks are in and your votes were as follows:

Which film should win the Oscar this year?

The Reader 6

Slumdog Millionaire 5

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button 2

Milk 1

Frost/Nixon 0

Which actress should win the Oscar?

Kate Winslet – The Reader 7

Meryl Streep – Doubt 5

Angelina Jolie – Changeling 2

Anne Hathaway – Rachel Getting Married 1

Melissa Leo – Frozen River 0

Which actor should win the Oscar?

Sean Penn – Milk 5

Frank Langella – Frost/Nixon 3

Brad Pitt – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button 3

Mickey Rourke – The Wrestler 1

Richard Jenkins – The Visitor 0

Enjoy watching the Academy Awards tonight!

Update after the Awards: Your wishes have been granted. Two out of three anyway