A Walk in the Woods (2015)

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1. 

   dchauvin

   This is one of those films that is going to offend nobody and impress nobody. The subject matter is so light that even in supposed moments of danger (after they slip 10ft or so down to a ledge below) I never once felt worry for the foolhardy protagonists. The story is just too banal to inspire any gasps or sighs from its audience. Believe me, I'm not one to oversell the importance of story and plot development, but the film just simply fails to play up its potential strong points - the beautiful landscape shots, the Appalachian vistas that make the route trekked a point of interest in the first place.
   
   And at the same time it is difficult to feel too disappointed with the film. Robert Redford and Emma Thompson are always a charm to watch, whilst Nick Nolte and Kristen Schaal prove themselves to be masters of comic relief. And when a film frames itself as inherently light, it's difficult to complain about a lack of "drama". All this adds up to a film too vanilla to love or hate. Like an Into The Wild for an older generation or The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel made by the Tea Party. 8 years 7 months ago
2. 

   boulderman

   Never bend your elbows using Nordic walking poles.. you can get cancer of the elbow
   
   
   Never use telescopic ones.
   
   I had read the book and this was familiar.
   
   Wife has got into walking, finally, highly comedic and the main reason I gave it a 7 3 years 8 months ago
3. 

   ikkegoemikke

   "No, writers don't retire. We either drink ourselves to death or blow our brains out.
   And which will it be for you?
   After this interview, maybe both."
   
   
   
   A road movie, but then on foot. With two old-timers puffing like a steam locomotive while walking the Appalachian trail. A trip of approximately 3500 km in the USA. A trip even young people fail to finish. But these two stubborn 70-year-olds won't give in easily and are motivated to reach the finish. And for what reason? On the one hand, there's Bill Bryson (Robert Redford), a writer who mostly writes about traveling. Is this some sort of item of his bucket list? Or is it because a moderator of a television show came with the fact that he never wrote a book about traveling in the US? Or is this his last chance? And then there's Stephen Katz (Nick Nolte), a grumpy old friend with an artificial knee, an ex-alcoholic and someone who needs to eat every hour so he won't get a sudden seizure. All in all, this seems like an almost impossible task. But despite protests by Bill's wife Catherine (Emma Thompson), both seniors embark on this venture.
   
   Films about people hiking through rugged landscapes to experience meditation moments, are quite popular nowadays. Reese Witherspoon demonstrated this already in "Wild". And Robert Redford already tried something similar as a solo sailor in "All is lost". Only there was no dialogue at all in this last film. And its largely present in "A walk in the woods". And to be honest, these dialogs were highly entertaining and at times quite humorous. The whole didn't feel as forced humor and they succeeded (to one point) in not letting it evolve into a sort of slapstick.Two old men, full of life experiences and wisdom, which are trying to push their own limits. Perhaps the obvious lessons of life were a bit cheesy. But this was amply compensated by the witty, amusing conversations and the delightful, ravishing landscapes they walked through.
   
   Perhaps some situations were a little predictable. Like the encounter with local wildlife and the incident with the panties in the laundry with an angry husband as a result. But there were also spontaneously hilarious moments like their meeting with the headstrong Mary Ellen (Kristen Schaal) they would rather not have in their company. Maybe I'm getting old but these two elderly made me laugh more than most recent comedies. Until towards the end the two of them got themselves into an uncomfortable situation. Then it felt a bit tragicomic. A kind of philosophical moment. Luckily I could forgive the makers this misstep because of all the foregoing, comic one-liners and dialogs.
   
   Whether they succeed in finishing the route or not, is actually irrelevant. Redford and Nolte are a perfect duo. You could compare them with Lemmon and Matthau with hiking boots. They look both very old, but mentally they still seem brisk enough. Would those two call me and ask me to accompany them on an inhuman trek, I would take the bait immediately. A fantastic movie.
   
   More reviews here : http://bit.ly/1KIdQMT 8 years 3 months ago

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