On DVD and Blu-ray
PG-13, 133 minutes
In 1939 Poland, Janusz (Jim Sturgess) gets a brisk trial when he's accused by the invading Russians of espionage. His wife is the main witness against him but it's clearly a forced testimony under threat. Janusz is sent to a Siberian gulag where he meets up with a ragtag group of other convicts, including an American (Ed Harris) and a murderer (Colin Farrell). Several decide to escape from the brutal conditions and trek South. Peter Weir's first film since 2003's Master and Commander was the most overlooked and underrated film of 2010 - a stunningly beautiful film filled with the high drama of survival, companionship, loyalty, and trust . . .
Weir channels none other David Lean with his camera brilliantly documenting the landscapes and the toll nature takes on the characters. Each actor gives a naturalistic performance and Weir shows the harsh conditions without dwelling on them. Many viewers complained about the unpleasantness of the experience and while modern audiences are accustomed to a sugar rush every 5-7 seconds, the old-school Weir builds the story classically - which allows for a huge emotional payoff at the end.
Sturgess gives his best performance to date, easily carrying the weight of the film on his shoulders. Farrell struggles a bit with the Russian accent but remains a terrific, charismatic presence. Not surprisingly, Weir-alum Harris (The Truman Show) fares best - with a grizzled, go-for-broke intensity. But it's Weir's show all the way, with perfect transitions and sharp editing. The film (like most "road" movies) is a rather obvious metaphor for every life's journey and how one can continue to move forward despite all obstacles and unforeseen curveballs. Let's hope Weir's journey brings us more films more frequently. They literally don't make them like this anymore. A-
Final 2010 Top Films
1. The Social Network
2. Inception
3. Black Swan
4. The Ghost Writer
5. The Fighter
6. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
7. The Way Back
8. Toy Story 3
9. Let Me In
10. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
11. The Secret in Their Eyes
12. True Grit
13. Shutter Island
14. 127 Hours
Honorable mention: The first 3/4 of The American which completely falls apart at the end.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
The Way Back - A-
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
This cast and director caught my eye, but I never got to it. Looks great. Sidenote - Inception is losing steam for me - I've tried to rewatch it several times, but just get bored.
I guess Nolan doesn't work for you on repeat viewings. Parts of Inception have even improved for me - Murphy's performance and seeing Postlethwaite on his deathbed (since he passed on just this past January). The technical stuff remains flawless for me and the faceless bad guys and partially underdeveloped characters work just fine since they're only part of someone's subconscious.
I didn't expect much from The Way Back since it died ignominiously at the box office and was virtually ignored during awards season. I thought Weir would have his first misstep since the atrocious Green Card. It's an internal epic and Mother Nature is the bad guy for the last 90 minutes or so. But it was so coherent and well put-together with occasional astonishing visuals. I was pleasantly surprised.
Post a Comment