Saturday, July 9, 2011

The Way (2010)

The Way (2010)
The Way (2010)

Genre: Drama
Director: Emilio Estevez
Starring: Emilio Estevez, Martin Sheen, Deborah Kara Unger, James Nesbitt, Yorick van Wageningen
Duration: 128 min.
Rating: 8.0

Summary:
An American father travels to France to recover the body of his estranged son who died while traveling the "El Camino de Santiago" an 800 km trek from France to Santiago de Compostela in Spain.



The Way is a film written and directed by Emilio Estevez, inspired by a real pilgrimage on the same route made by his father Martin Sheen and his son Taylor Estevez a few years earlier.  It premiered at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival.

The story begins after Sheen's character Tom Avery receives a phone call informing him of the death of his son Daniel (played by director and real life son Emilio Estevez) while traveling on the pilgrimage El Camino de Santiago or The Way of St. James  (an 800 km path starting from the town of St-Jean in France and ending at the believed burial place of Saint James, Santiago de Compostela in Spain), he flies to France to bring home the body.  But shortly after arriving, Tom decides to complete the pilgrimage in honor of Daniel, carrying and scattering his ashes along the route.

What follows is a touching performance from Sheen, and a film that mostly avoids the over dramatic.  Along the way Tom encounters a cast of quirky characters, each with their own personal reasons for making the pilgrimage.  A boisterously friendly Dutchman hoping to lose a few pounds, a cranky Canadian divorcee trying to quit smoking, and an Irish scribe suffering from writers block.  Almost like an RPG, one by one they join up with Tom and soon they are walking together like an adventuring party.  Granted these are rather cliched characters, but a flaw that can be overlooked because of the honest and restrained way in which they are presented.  There was also one stereotypical and questionable sequence involving a young gypsy thief, and although the chase scene was used effectively to showcase the streets and sights of Burgos, they could have chosen a better subplot to do it with.

Speaking of the sights, the cinematography throughout is striking, capturing the beauty and magnificence of all the incredible locations and architecture along the way.  From the heights of the Pyrenees to the ancient cobblestone streets everything was filmed in an awe inspiring way that almost makes you want to take the trip for yourself.

Having not heard of this film before watching it, I was not sure what to expect but I found it to be an excellent film, well directed, with a moving story, an impressive performance from Sheen, and some very beautiful cinematography. 

The Way (2010)

The Way (2010)

The Way (2010)

The Way (2010)

The Way (2010)

The Way (2010)

The Way (2010)

The Way (2010)

The Way (2010)

The Way (2010)

16 comments:

Bonjour Tristesse said...

No I haven't seen that one.  Sounds interesting, I will have to check it out.

Bonjour Tristesse said...

Cool landscapes always make a movie better.

Chris said...

"The Way" sounds promising, already on my to-see-list, beautiful cinematography appeals to me, and I heard the soundtrack is great. Maybe you’ve seen Le Grand Voyage (2004)  also about a pilgrimage, a road movie, father/son tale

Bonjour Tristesse said...

That's exactly how I felt, Christine.  It does make the pilgrimage look like a fascinating experience, and I'm sure the film will inspire many viewers to go on it.

Bonjour Tristesse said...

Yeah, I was afraid it would turn into a sappy over dramatic piece, and there are some moments where you think it just might go that way but it mostly holds its course.

Bonjour Tristesse said...

Me either, but my friend who was a big fan of The West Wing insisted we watch it, and I'm glad I did.

Bonjour Tristesse said...

I can see how the premise might bring to mind Into the Wild, but it really doesn't have much in common with that film. 

It is definitely worth checking out.  Thanks for commenting Lesya.

Christine@TheFiveSenses.org said...

I liked this film as well.  It was sweet and touching without trying too hard to be dramatic.  Plus I had no idea about that pilgrimage and found it quite interesting.  

Hoi-Ming Ng said...

This one sounds interesting.

thevoid99 said...

I was wary of this since I really disliked "Bobby" for its melodrama and the fact that Estevez was trying to be Robert Altman.  Yet, it seems like this will be different so I'll check it out when it's on TV.

d_4 said...

I wouldn't have expected anything that good, so I'll give it a shot now. Really wouldn't have before.

Justin porter said...

Wow, a Sheen / Estevez movie that actually looks watchable!  Thanks!

Blorriepoes said...

wow the trailer is in an amazing quality!
waiting for more.

neurotikka said...

your blog inspires me to write more about movies. XO

Lesya said...

I heard of this film not a long time ago, and right away it stirred up interest in me. Also it somehow reminded me of Into the Wild... I will definitely check it out and since you liked it, I bet it's a good movie.

FrontRoomCinema said...

I am going to try and find this film, if only for the great and stunning landscapes that you mention. I do love a BIG movie like this.

Thanks BT

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