REEL CRITICS:

Director Sean Penn has made a lyrical film from Jon Krakauer’s best-selling true story “Into the Wild” about an idealistic young man in the early ‘90s who spurned a civilized world to live off the land in Alaska.

This epic odyssey features a splendid Emile Hirsch as Chris McCandless who, fresh out of college, donates or burns all his money and sets out without any word to his family. Retold thru the voiceover recollections of his sister (Jena Malone), the film is an open look at the frailties in everyday America with wonderful supporting performances by Hal Holbrook, Vince Vaughn, Catherine Keener and Brian Dierker.

The soundtrack, including songs by Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam, is a great as the scenery.

For those who haven’t read the book, I won’t reveal the ending. And while Penn’s portrait of McCandless is less objective, it comes straight from the heart.

 Flick well designed for eyes but not patience

In “The Assassination of Jesse James,” each frame is a work of art, and Brad Pitt does fine work in bringing the famous outlaw to the big screen. Casey Affleck has a breakout role as his murderer Bob Ford, self-described as a “nincompoop destined for greatness.”

But at 160 minutes, the movie is self-indulgent — many scenes could have been saved as extras for the DVD version.

The psychological tension between the brutal, tormented James and very creepy Ford is fascinating but unending. We already know from the overly long title what happens, and by whom. Enough of this moodiness — just shoot him so we can go out to dinner.

 Lowbrow savants fail with painfully trite trash

The Farrelly Brothers made their reputation producing outrageous comedies that push the limits of acceptable behavior on screen. Their early work includes the PG rated “Dumb and Dumber” and “Shallow Hal.” But they graduated into definite R-rated territory with raunchy comedy hits.

“There’s Something About Mary” was their wild and crazy breakthrough film starring Ben Stiller and Cameron Diaz. Stiller returns in their new effort, “The Heartbreak Kid,” with another stunning blonde co-star: Michelle Monaghan.

She meets and begins a short romance with Stiller that leads to marriage much too soon. The rest of the movie could be called “The Honeymoon From Hell” as the two of them uncover nasty character traits in each other.

The Farrelly boys desperately try to recapture the hip and edgy comedy that made “Something About Mary” so successful.

They do not succeed. There are a few bawdy laughs sprinkled throughout the movie but most of the intended jokes misfire badly.

The whole enterprise is full of awkward, offensive situations that are completely contrived and decidedly unfunny.

It’s an embarrassment to everyone involved and painful to watch.

JOHN DEPKO is a Costa Mesa resident and a senior investigator for the Orange County public defender’s office. SUSANNE PEREZ lives in Costa Mesa and is an executive assistant for a financial services company.