Review of A Walk in the Woods (2015) by Dawdlingpoet — 26 Nov 2021

I found this film quite amusing from the start, with Bryson's wife trying to stop her husband from taking on too much. His determination seems quite admirable, although it becomes clear fairly early on that he may have taken on more than he can chew. Some of the situations that he and Stephen find themselves in made me laugh. I think it would be fair to say that there's a definite element of naivety present - a boyhood naivety of sorts, which is obviously ironic given the fact that their not exactly spring chickens.

Still, I couldn't help but admire Bill's determination to forge ahead on the trail. I had a rough idea of what sorts of issues may lie ahead, having recently read a book entitled 'Wild' by Cheryl Strayed, which details the authors time on another similar trail, the PCT trail (PCT = Pacific Crest Trail). The comedy is mostly visual, and pretty slapstick in style. Otherwise I'd categorise this as an adventure film - only it isn't really an action film (as there are a lot of combined action and adventure films) due to the slow plot pace. Still, it'd be hard to argue that there's no element of adventure in a film with this storyline. I liked the way Katz' really tried Bill's patience, while he proved quite stubborn and also made some poignant points. I found it somehow reassuring, watching how the two older men adapted to their various precarious situations, of differing types, in their bid to grit their teeth and continue .

There are some impressive camera shots used, giving the viewer a good idea of the sort of panoramic landscapes which can be enjoyed while out on the trail. Themes covered could be said to include self-discovery and belonging.

Cast wise, Robert Redford plays the main character, Bill. Nick Nolte plays Stephen Katz, while Emma Thompson plays Bill's long suffering wife, Catherine, all of which do a good job of portraying them as determined people and good long-term friends. There's a wryness to them - to some of their quick witted remarks and the like.

I felt that, by the end, it had a nicely optimistic tone to it - it could be said to be a little too Hollywood-ised in style perhaps but I felt it was quite re-assuring regardless. I also particularly enjoyed the song that played as the film ended and the credits started to appear. The track is quite 'earthy', a sort of folk song perhaps but there is a definite positive feel to it and I enjoyed that combined with impressive camera shots of landscapes that form part of the Appalachian trail.

Content wise, this film contains some strong language, sex references and a potentially frightening scene involving a bear, although there is no graphic violence. This film carries a 15 rating to reflect the content, although I would have thought that perhaps if a couple of swear words were edited out, it could have had the lower 12 rating applied maybe?. Yes I'd recommend this film, as I felt it was quite amusing, featured some good landscape shots, a good cast and I liked the ending. This is a quite entertaining film - it may be a little slow paced for some and so may not overly suit everyone but I quite enjoyed it regardless.