The Way back

[evilzadi]

The Way back Release Date: 26 December 2010 (UK)

A fact-based story centered on soldiers who escaped from a Siberian gulag in 1940.

Director: Peter Weir
Writers: Keith R. Clarke (screenplay), Slavomir Rawicz (novel), and 1 more credit »
Stars: Jim Sturgess, Ed Harris and Colin Farrell

[superhero]

Anyone seen it yet? is is going to get a few awards nominations?

[evilzadi]

it looks quite good, i hope theres some screening near me

[hannahbk]

Saw the trailer before monsters, looks pretty epic...skeptical about the accents though. anyone seen?

[andrews]

I am really looking forward to seeing this one. I think it will be very powerful.

[Cortone]

Heard a programme about this on Radio 4, which suggested that this was a work of fiction, based on other's stories.

Here are a couple of links...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-11900920

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00wdcts

Sadly, the programme is no longer available.

[Ms Thrifty]

I too heard one of the R4 programmes by chance and was fascinated, so it's a shame it's no longer available, especially as the film is about to be released. I had already seen the trailer, which I found absolutely DIRE and the usual repellent, hyped-up Hollywood fare, even though the director is Peter Weir. Guess he can't direct the marketing...

[Preston1990]

Hmmm…. now which film should I choose to be my iconic “numero cento”?

Well, what is there available….let’s crank up the old Cineworld website and have a look see!

OK now what haven’t I seen yet from that lot. Oh dear, it look’s like it’s going to be a toss up between “Animals United”, “Arthur’s Greatest Adventure” or “The Way Back”.

So obviously then, I’ll be going to see Animals United……….No, No, Only joking! .

The Way Back is an Epic of epic proportions. It’s epically long, it’s epically bleak and shows the epicness that the human spirit is capable of undertaking and overcoming on a truly epically epic scale.

Leaving aside the distracting fact that Colin Farrell is the spit of Kevin Webster from the Street, I really enjoyed this film. There are some quite breathtaking images of the landscapes involved.

Ok before you see it you know, from the trailers, that there is going to be a long walk involved somewhere in the film, and surprise surprise there is. It is truly arduous stuff played out in multiple hostile terrains. Strangely enough for a 2 hours + film, nothing much happens aside from the constant walking, and the cyclical battling of hunger and thirst.

Despite that it’s a good watch, and I’d give it a 7.5 out of 10 – ironically, it would have been an 8 if the film had been twenty minutes shorter, and the end bit to wrap up the film had not seemed as rushed.

[andrews]

We watched this last night at The Gate, Newcastle, using tickets which I'd won in a competition. Result! We were offered Premiere seats - thank you very much, and made our way in to sit near the teenagers from hell (or somewhere rough on the outskirts of the Newcastle). They were sitting in our seats when we got in and - to be fair to them, moved when they realised. The usual anti-social behaviour then followed - I'm sure you've all experienced it - talking/shouting loudly, answering their mobile phones and having a loud conversation, shoes off and bare feet resting on the seat in front. On elderly gent got up and moved to a different row. The crunch came when one girl decided to throw popcorn at my OH. I've never seen him move so quickly. I don't think they knew what had hit them, but when he sat down, having had a firm word with them, they were very quiet indeed - you could almost see the rest of the audience breathe a sigh of relief. Even better, when they finished their popcorn etc, they all got up and left. I was convinced we would meet them again in the foyer on the way out and was devising my own escape strategy, but I needn't have worried - they'd gone - Thank goodness.

Well as for the film - Preston1990 has said that it was an epic, and it was indeed. This film was inspired by a true story (and OH b*ght the book yesterday). The film maintains a deliberately slow pace so you keep up with the escapees every step of the way. At 132 minutes, it was perhaps 20 minutes too long. I was sharing their ordeal, but found out little about the characters themselves, or even cared enough about them. It was visually stunning in places. However, where The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, set in New Zealand, was a huge advertisement for tourism there, I won't be adding Siberia, Mongolia or Nepal to the list of destinations I wish to visit on what I saw last night.

Colin Farrell was very good as the Russian thug, Ed Harris gave another sterling Ed Harris performance, and Jim Sturgess and Mark Strong were very good as well. Saoirse Ronan played a teenage refugee but her part did not give her enough to do really.

I did enjoy it - it was different - 7.5/10 from me.

[Spanner]

saw this yesterday on cineworld codes, a bit boring tbh, walk sit drama walk sit drama etc repeat to fade. seen this sort of thing many times before and done a lot better. boyf liked it but then again he's a bit boring too tbh *snigger* 6/10