Into the Forest

Without getting into all of the other hot topics that this film engenders, as an Alaskan I can say that from a purely survival aspect they wouldn't make it a winter. And in fact if this was supposed to be anywhere in Canada where was winter? It always seemed green. There are few berries in winter. Unless they lived in a fairly substantial house they would freeze to death. And there is very little food apart from hunting in the winter. And they certainly did not learn enough to survive simply from books. They would run out of ammo soon. They showed no skill at creating tools or salvaging them. And certainly none at basic house repair. In fact I would say they were just about the unhandiest women I've seen in the woods. Essentially this was just an emotionally acted fantasy without much basis in the real world. Kind of a shame. I had hoped for more.

(I intentionally tried my best to avoid spoilers, but please let me know if I didn't) I would have lost a bet if someone told me Ellen Page and Evan Rachel Wood were in a flick that sucked, but here you go. Good performances for both, some great emotion, but the whole of the writing suffers from plausibility problems, almost like a freshman film student didn't have a mentor review her work before final submission. It affects really basic things that are glaring. Set aside the narrative on the human condition, etc. for a moment. That can be massaged by the writer to match her message as she sees fit (some of the messages are not all that great, but I'm a guy), but what is obviously lacking in the story is the amount of technical consult work that must be done to ensure any viewer that has a slight idea of how things work doesn't turn away from the film before the conclusion. Perhaps I'm not part of the target audience? Unclear. Is it ready for the 2am slot of the lifetime network? Sure, why not? Every other medium will probably leave the viewer wondering if this same story could have been told with a lot more attention to detail. I mostly can't stand remakes, but I would welcome another crack at this.

We wanted to like this film. But we could not. It failed us. The premise is interesting and the acting starts off pretty solid and believable. The characters talk and act in ways that you can believe at the outset and you are drawn in by the mysterious direction of the plot. Then, something happens and the characters just keep plugging away as if nothing is wrong. There are so many outrageous inconsistencies and plot holes that you can't keep up. Without giving away the plot, I will just say that they go from one extreme to the other and the characters do not react as any person ever would. The story continues with more absurdity and tragedy. The characters continue to do mindless and illogical things. At this point, we lose interest in the story and follow along with half interest just to see where it ends. It can be said that there is some very good acting in this film. But the writing and direction drag this into two big thumbs down. Bizarre does not mean good. Sorry.

This movie has some really convincing performances. Ellen Page is great, the depth of her emotions are intense and believable. Evan Rachel Wood is also really good, she does her sensitive character a lot of justice and portrays a vividly brutal scene with real honesty. This movie is unsettling because it is all too possible. What happens when we are suddenly left without power is shocking - we are plunged into a lawless past, with no protection. This movie really conveys that well, and at the same time explores the theme of what it means to be a family. I was moved to tears several times. The forest setting is lush and beautiful. The direction was good - the pace was tense and believable, the only slow part I didn't care for were some of the love scenes in the beginning, and the dance scenes were pretty dispensable, but all in all I really liked it!

This film is not a survival thriller. It is a deep and profound symbological tale that can only be understood allergorically. Except that some of the ideas underlying the film are kind of obscure and confusing (on an allegorical level.) The best stories work by being universally understood on a subconscious level. So the film is really only partially successful as allegory.