Well, my fellow Edmontonians, it’s started. We’re going to work in the dark, and it won’t be long before it’s dark when we’re coming home, too. The long dark of an Alberta winter is creeping up on us. This means that it’s soon going to be time to hide away in the theatres (home theatres included) where it’s warm.
I think I’ve mentioned this before, but I’ll say it again: Edmontonians reportedly watch more movies, per capita, than any other city in North America. I’m hardly an exception to this rule, so I’ll likely be writing a lot of movie reviews over the coming months.
I’ll start with Into the Wild, the movie I saw this past weekend.
Into the Wild is based on a best selling book by Jon Krakauer, about Chris McCandless (Emile Hirsch)—a young man who decides to buck the rules of society, and go live off of the land in Alaska.
Along the way, he travels around America, meets a couple of hippies who become like a surrogate family to him (though, he never quite lets them get that close to him); a farm boss who becomes one of the few friends he seems to have in life; and an old man who has sealed himself off from the world until Chris comes into his life.
That synopsis does a huge disservice to the film, and McCandless’ story, so let me give you a greater rundown.
It’s a journey of self-discovery, as much as it is a rebellion against his parents and their materialistic approach to life. It’s also a surprisingly selfish journey, in many ways. Chris cuts off all contact with his family (and most of the world).
It’s understandable that he would cut ties with his parents, given some of the revelations we are shown about his childhood, but his decision to remain remote from his sister is at odds with his supposed reasons for leaving the family. It hints at the selfishness of what he is doing.
Without giving away too much of the plot, I will say that self-discovery ultimately leads to realizations of what is and is not important in life. There is a certain sense of redemption for more than one character, though it’s pointed out more obviously than it needs to be.
It’s based on a true story, but it’s still a story, and the ending would likely have had a greater impact had it been told less forcefully.
Despite the slight problem with the ending, it was a very good film. If I were giving this movie a starred review, I’d be tempted to give it 5 out of 5, but I think the ending brings it down to about a 4.5.
There were also a couple of points where Hirsch looks directly into the camera, which does little other than to make it very obvious that this is we’re watching a film. It’s likely meant to draw us into Chris’ personal world, but, for me, the only effect it had was to take me out of the film.
Because of these weaknesses, I wouldn’t rate Into the Wild higher than 4 out of 5. That is, of course, still an very good rating. I enjoyed Into the Wild a lot, and I highly recommend that you go check it out.
Into the Wild is currently playing at the Garneau Theatre (8712-109 Street).
Despite the so-called “Alberta Advantage,” most of the Edmontonians I know are strapped for cash. I’m strapped for cash. Maybe it’s just because I associate mostly with writers, artists, and students—people who are stereotypically short of money—but I don’t really see many people enjoying the wealth that has been flowing up from the tar sands for the the past few years.
A lack of money shouldn’t mean a lack of fun, though. I want your help to create a list of fun things that you can do for free in Edmonton. Bonus points if you come up with something that is exclusive to Edmonton. I’ve got a few things to start the list off.
- Take a walk in the river valley. Edmonton has the longest stretch of continuous green space in North America. The river valley is host to a massive trail system, much of which is wooded heavily enough to allow you to forget that you’re in the city for a brief moment. Going for a walk or a run in the river valley is one of the easiest, and cheapest ways to escape the stress of city life. While some people will argue that certain parts of the valley are better than others, I think that the whole stretch is beautiful, and recommend that you check out as many different areas as you can. Other good walks in the city, outside of the river valley include downtown (I love wandering the Core in the autumn, with a good friend to chat with), and Whyte Avenue. Both of these areas happen to be close to the river, so you can experience both nature and concrete in the same walk, if you want.
- Visit your local library. Yes, I’m hitting you with a cliché of “how to have fun for free” lists. One of the cool things about the Edmonton Public Library is that they don’t just have books, music, and movies that you can borrow for free (an adult membership is $12/year, but I’ve been told that they will waive the fee if you are unable to afford it), but they also give free film screenings at the Stanley A. Milner location downtown. I’ve gone to a few of the film screenings they’ve shown, and I’ve yet to be disappointed. I’ve been confused, and uncertain about what think about some of the movies, but I’ve never been disappointed. That said, they show mostly “art house” flicks, so if that’s not your thing, you might not enjoy the movies that are shown in the basement of the library. The Stanley A. Milber library also has an art gallery, that you can view for free. The current exhibit features the photography of Kan Ki Chiu.
- Embrace your inner child: visit a playground. When was the last time that you visited a playground? It might seem silly, but getting together with a group of over-sized kids for a game of sand tag can be surprisingly fun. If you’re into the idea of playing tag, but not into the idea of taking over the local playground, you might want to check out Manhunt.
- Have sex. I can almost guarantee that some joker was going to put this in the comments section. Well, now I’ve beat you to it. Having said that, if you’ve got a willing partner, it’s not a bad suggestion.
I’ve given you some ideas to get started. What other kinds of free fun can you have in Edmonton?
You may not be aware of this, but Edmontonians watch a lot of movies. I mean a lot. I remember reading, once, that we watch more movies in the theatre than any other city in North America (per capita). The Cineplex Odeon at South Edmonton Common is, apparently, the flagship theatre for the continent.
For this reason, I will be writing movie reviews from time to time. Today, I’ve got a couple of quickie reviews of some of the movies I’ve seen recently.
The Bourne Ultimatum: If you’re looking for a good action/suspense movie, this is definitely one of the best I’ve seen in a while. I’ve heard the Bourne series referred to as “the thinking man’s action movies,” and, while I’m not a huge of fan of describing things as “the thinking man’s something or other,” I think it fits in this situation. The Bourne Ultimatum is definitely one of the smartest action flicks I’ve seen in a long time, and it’s a great ending to the trilogy. (Rated 4 out of 5.)
The Simpsons Movie: I had expected that the Simpsons Movie wouldn’t be very funny. It turns out that I was correct. It was, essentially, a regular episode of the TV show, except that it was stretched out over 90 minutes, and couldn’t really sustain itself for that long. They didn’t take any risks, and didn’t do anything that would be worth carrying over to the TV series. It had some chuckles, but I’m glad that I saw this movie during a matinée and didn’t pay full price. I recommend waiting for this movie to come out on DVD. If you insist on seeing it on the big screen, wait a month or two and go see it for cheap at Movies 12. (Rated 3 out of 5.)