All the Wilderness (2014)

Simply A Masterpiece

I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

I didn't read the summary before watching, but I should have. I was expecting a family adventure about a teen or teens in the wilderness. The wilderness does appear in the first scene of the movie, but it is actually just James walking through some woods that are not that far from civilization. In fact, he appears to be getting chased by bullies. While the same woods appear several more times, mostly in flashbacks, the wilderness he refers to is something his farther described. Most of the movie takes place in an unidentified city.James listens to depressing music (though compared to the 80s-style alternative garbage that passes for music most of the time in this movie, Chopin actually sounds pretty good to me) and reads depressing literature. He recently lost his father and he is having trouble relating to other people in general. For this reason his mother is sending him to a shrink, who I did not recognize. He is Danny DeVito, now gray with a beard. While in the waiting room James meets a cute girl, Val, with an attitude. Not much happens in the shrink's office and James manages to escape by claiming he needs to use the rest room. Once he does, he sees street musician Harmon. Later James is out at night in the city despite his mother's concerns and is running from some mysterious people. He gets on a train and there is Harmon. Harmon and James become friends and begin hanging out. Harmon also has a lesbian friend Crystal who sometimes likes men too, so I guess that actually makes her bi. The friends get high and also go to a place where either the composers of the music were high, you have to be high to appreciate the music, or the music makes you think you're high. During his adventures, James sees the food truck where Val works. They end up becoming friends but have fun separately from the others, including in a wilderness area. James got into a prestigious school, but he appears likely to waste the opportunity. He is actually having a good time being around these people who are a bad influence, though his "girlfriend" has higher moral standards.I get the impression this was a quality production, but just not the sort of thing that would appeal to me. Most of the leading actors do a good job, and Evan Ross in particular stands out as Harmon, and Harmon's music is quite good (if you like that sort of thing). He can even do what sounds like Chopin. I can't say for sure it was, but from what he said, it must have been.One scene has some creative editing. James and his girlfriend are at the lake and the audio continues throughout the scene even though it doesn't always match the video. A lot of the time we are just seeing them having fun in the water as they continue to talk.If you like seeing young people rebel against those who only care about their best interests, and you like terrible music that young people enjoyed in the 80s, this might be for you.

James Charm (Kodi Smit-McPhee) gets into a fight with a schoolmate. He's obsessed with death and infuriates others with predictions of their deaths. His frustrated mother Abigail Charm (Virginia Madsen) sends him to psychiatrist Dr. Pembry (Danny DeVito) who wants him to attend a special school. He falls for fellow patient Val (Isabelle Fuhrman). He's in the city at night where he's befriended by Harmon (Evan Ross).Kodi's gawky weirdness is interesting. Isabelle's darker edge is also pretty interesting. There are some surreal touches that could be interesting but it needs to be more consistent. Harmon and the street kids have potential. It's all potentially great. The main missing ingredient is intensity. Other than the delusions, there is a lethargy to the movie. I guess it's the sense of depression coming from James due to his family issue. Despite the fights, I may need him to scream.

This is the kind of film for which cinema was invented ! Probably made on a tiny budget, it looks utterly beautiful, tells a simple story in a poetic way and moves deeply. It oozes atmosphere and doesn't take a single wrong step. I can't recommend it highly enough!

Imagine watching your father jump off a bridge? Woah. That would mess you up pretty good. He keeps drawing pictures of dead animals. To capture them in time. To freeze time in that moment of death. He wanted to understand why his dad would kill himself. Especially when he says stuff like "the wilderness is inside of all of us". This is could be chaos or serenity. The kid tried to understand this message that was passed down to him. In the end, he realizes that he is not like his dad. He chooses to stop living in his cursed life any more. He said his life was cursed. That he could see when people would die. Well, he actually literally saw his dad die. So he meant that he could tell when his dad was going to die. He sensed the inner torment, the wilderness, inside of his dad. He projected that onto his outside world. To try and find some answers he had to become close with death, and to try and understand it at a young age.