Review: "Wild" (****)

Reese Witherspoon and her backpack Monster star in "Wild"

“Wild” opens with a shot of gorgeous and serene, snow-capped mountains. We hear a woman gasping for air, breathing as if caught right in the middle of some pretty rigorous sex. This woman, as it turns out, is a hiker arduously laboring her way to a pretty stunning lookout. And it is here that we meet our heroine Cheryl Strayed (Reese Witherspoon). She removes her backpack called Monster (a rather appropriately named symbol for all the things in her life that weigh her down) from her sweat-drenched and filthy back, takes off her too-small boots, peels off her blood-soaked socks revealing her mangled and blistered feet. She picks and rips off a dead toenail, and in the process, somehow, knocks her shoe off the side of the mountain. In frustration, she hurls the other shoe, full force, into the abyss. She curses at the mountains, screaming her frustrations at the top of her lungs, and it’s this moment that we learn the defiant, grieving, willing-to-make-a-fool-of-herself nature of this woman. Very quickly after that moment, we then get these quick, successive clips: a fox, her mother, her as a girl, her life, the wild. They’re very snappy and colorful and expressive and perfectly capture everything that this film is. Then a quick cut to the title card. It’s a gorgeous introduction to a well-done film.

Star spotting 04/19: Colin Farrell, Jon Hamm, Nicole Kidman, Robin Williams, Reese Witherspoon

Colin Farrell, Jon Hamm and Nicole Kidman have all found work in Atlanta this spring.

It is certainly no secret that "Anchorman: The Legend Continues" has been filming all over Atlanta for the last month-and-a-half. Will Ferrell, Kristen Wiig, Steve Carrell, Paul Rudd, Christina Applegate, James Marsden, Harrison Ford and David Koechner all star in the film that has covered the city with production crews from Turner Field and Summerhill to Upper Midtown and the West End. Apparently, Nicole Kidman was even in town briefly last week, filming a cameo appearance. Adam McKay directs.

"Solace," directed by Alfonso Poyart, will begin shooting in Atlanta in May. Colin Farrell, Anthony Hopkins, Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Abbie Cornish will star in the psychic crime drama. Although the genre might be a bit overdone these days, this cast promises good things. Some reports suggest filming will also take place in Detroit. More details to come.

Reese Witherspoon has been in town shooting "The Good Lie" from director Philippe Falardeau ("Monsieur Lazhar"). Corey Stoll and Arnold Oceng also star in the film about a Sudanese refuge who is taken in by an American woman. Filming has taken place in Atlanta, Dunwoody and Lawrenceville so far. Production will move to Africa after it wraps in Atlanta. Witherspoon shot another upcoming release "Devil's Knot" in Georgia last year.

"Million Dollar Arm" is the latest Disney movie that will film in Atlanta. Jon Hamm, Alan Arkin and Suraj Sharma will star in the film about a sports agent who recruits Asian cricket stars to play Major League Baseball. Production begins next month. Send crew résumés to milliondollarprods@gmail.com. Craig Gillespie ("Fight Night," "Lars and the Real Girl") directs a script from Thomas McCarthy ("The Station Agent," "Up," "The Visitor," "Win Win").

"A Friggin' Christmas Miracle" began filming in Atlanta last week. The film will star Robin Williams, Lauren Graham and Joel McHale. All three of these are gifted comedic talents, but lets hope they come up with a better title before this fall's release. Tristram Shapeero ("Community," "New Girl," "Parks and Recreation") directs.

"The Surgeon General" is a CBS television pilot that has been filming throughout downtown Atlanta and the Cobb Galleria area in Vinings. Sean Astin, Kathryn Morris and Jason Isaacs star in the prospective fall drama.

Spotted any celebrities or film crews around the state? Email us at reelga@gmail.com with the details and we'll post it here.

Atlanta review: "Mud" (****½)

Tye Sheridan, Matthew McConaughey and Jacob Lofland star in "Mud"

Filmmaker Jeff Nichols has made a name for himself crafting nuanced stories that capture the Southern experience in whatever form it may take. In 2011, Nichols and his stars, Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain, received a myriad of honors for "Take Shelter" (including the coveted #10 spot on my year-end list). His latest feature, "Mud," debuted at Cannes to acclaim from critics and audiences alike– setting off on an impressive buzz ride leading up to its theatrical release next month.

Jeff Nichols' "Mud" to open Atlanta Film Festival

The Atlanta Film Festival has been slowly releasing a few titles at a time, but won't officially announce the lineup until later this week. On March 15th, Jeff Nichols' "Mud" will kick off the festival. One of the film's actors, Ray McKinnon, will be on hand during opening night festivities. I suspect that McKinnon might also be at the festival to promote "Rectify," his new Sundance Channel original series. "Rectify" was shot in Griffin and centers around an exonerated Georgia death row inmate.

Fresh off the success of 2011's "Take Shelter," writer-director Nichols looks to have another hit on his hands with "Mud." After its premiere at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival, "Mud" rose to the top of the critical anticipation lists for 2013. The film stars Matthew McConaughey in the eponymous role as a fugitive who meets two teenagers that help him evade local authorities as he searches for his love in rural Arkansas. Tye Sheridan, Jacob Lofland, Reese Witherspoon, Ray McKinnon, Sam Shepard, Sarah Paulson and Joe Don Baker round out the impressive cast. The film screened in Sundance last month and will be released theatrically on April 26th.

Look for more coverage of the 2013 ATLFF soon and check out the trailer for "Mud" after the jump.