Much has been made about Christopher McCandless’ decision to drop everything in his life to venture into the wilderness and live on the barest of means. Was he a reckless, ill-prepared, idealistic would-be adventurer or should we view his pursuit to reconnect with nature with sympathy and understanding, especially in its stance against the materialist, capitalist evils of the modern world? There’s a bit of both in Sean Penn’s Into the Wild, although it probably leans towards a more romantic portrayal of McCandless’ journeys. The film is beautifully photographed, but Penn’s direction is a bit too busy at times for my liking, more so with the flashbacks incorporated into the story. Going from fresh-faced graduate to emaciated homeless hermit, Hirsch (Speed Racer) gives a commendable performance as McCandless, though he lacks the fire of someone like DiCaprio to take it elsewhere. But he’s surrounded by a troupe of fine actors doing wonderful work, in particular Hal Halbrook’s poignant Oscar-nominated performance as an ageing, lonely retiree whom McCandless befriends. The final scene Halbrook appears in is actually more moving and emotional than the film’s final moments showing McCandless’ decline.