Published: 4 March 2010
by DAN CARRIER

• Into The Wild
Directed by Sean Penn • Certificate: 15

THIS film was released back in 2007 so why, you may ask, is it ­making it into this newspaper’s movie page this week?

The reason is – trumpet fanfare and drum roll, please – this Sunday is the launch of the Hampstead Film Club, the brand new, must-do film club being held at the Hampstead Town Hall. Now, not only are the organisers showing a whole host of amazing films, not only is it free, but the organisers want you, the viewer, to help select the programme for future screenings. 

Into The Wild was directed by Sean Penn, and tells the true story of Christopher McCandless (Emile Hirsch), a university graduate who decided to do an “On Walden Pond”-style adventure. 

He handed over his entire life savings to charity and then hitch-hiked to Alaska to live in the wilds, meeting a variety of interesting ­characters en route who helped change his ­perception of what life is really all about. 

He has had a bit of a tough childhood and he hopes some isolation may help him come to terms with his life – but living in the wilds, alone, is a tough prop­osition and without wanting to spill the beans, things do not go as planned.

The screening is on Sunday night, and starts at 7pm. 

• Case 39
Directed by Christian Alvert • Certificate: 15

Renée Zellweger takes on the role as a well-meaning social worker in this drama that also ­features Ian McShane ­(pictured). It’s a scary old psychological thriller in which Emily Jenkins (Zellweger) is a social worker looking after poor 10-year-old ­Lillith, who has a ­horrible family situation to contend with. But when the girl is taken away from her family and Emily helps her to start a new life, things do not quite pan out as they should.