The Way (Film Review)
Jun. 24th, 2012 10:22 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
selenakThis film was just released in Germany, and while I hadn't heard anything in advance, a review caught my attention, and I'm glad I followed suit. This film, starring Martin Sheen and written and directed by his son Emilio Estevez, is a quiet and moving variation of that arch American genre, the road movie, located in Europe – Spain and a bit of France, to be precise, since the road in question is the Camino, the route to St. Iago di Compostela. It’s shot on location, which is part of its charm, but really the main reason to watch this is to watch Martin Sheen deliver a powerhouse performance as eye doctor Tom Avery, who at the start of the film receives the news his estranged son (director Estevez giving himself a cameo role, because it’s that brief a part, why spend money on hiring someone when obvious casting is obvious?) Daniel has died while starting the Camino, goes to France to collect his son’s remains and ends up taking the road himself. I’ve seen this described as a father-son film, but it’s not in the sense that you usually use that description (except for the part where a son wrote it for his father to play in). It doesn’t focus on the relationship Tom had with his son, there is no dramatic argument wrapped up with a teary “I love you, dad/son” reconciliation. Daniel is dead, and what few hints we get seem to indicate a mundane long term estrangement rather than something involving mutual shouting. What it focuses on instead of the past is the present, is how Tom deals with the loss, the irrevocable fact of death, which hits home for yours truly and may for many people who had to deal with the loss of a family member. It also juxtaposes the disbelief, anger and stoicism of its main character with the odd company he collects en route, none of whom are tackling the Camino for religious reasons. (Tom himself is a lapsed Catholic.)
There’s “Joost from Holland”, as he introduces himself, who as another character once calls him is the Sancho Pansa to Tom’s Don Quichotte, played by Yorick van Wageningen and on the road to lose weight, which isn’t made easier by his cheerful hedonism and enjoyment of every meal he can find. (He also has pot with him, which isn’t punished by the narrative.) Sarah the sarcastic and abrasive Canadian, played by Deborah Kara Unger, who professes to want to quit smoking (hint: she doesn’t) makes for another foil. The one character who grated on me the wrong way was Jack the Irish writer, played by James Nesbitt, because the combination of fast-talking Irishman straight from the book with Nesbitt’s performance was just too much. (Though he tones it down after his introduction, thank God.) (James Nesbitt in general is a hit and miss actor for me. I reacted aversely to him in the Jekyll pilot and when the rumour was he might be one of the candidates for the eleventh Doctor because of the Moffat connection I thought, please, NO, but then again I saw him in a fantastic Indie film with Liam Neeson and he was awesome there, so as I said – depends on the role.) I say “the wrong way” because as befits the road movie formula of course the characters get on each other’s nerves initially in a way that’s intended by the script.
The film isn’t perfect – sometimes I found the soundtrack too much, and as I said, Nesbitt. Also, as you can see with Joost and his pot and Jack and his fast talking, certain stereotyped national traits show up. But I found it really captivating regardless, and appreciate that Estevez doesn’t provide each of the characters with neat resolutions or spells out to us what, exactly, their road experiences leaves them with. He trusts his actors (not just but above all his father) and leaves room for layers and ambiguity. And the way the Camino is filmed is beautiful without ever descending into kitsch, not least because the weather keeps changing; it's not all sunshine and blue sky but lots of clouds, and not in tandem with whatever is going on drama wise (i.e. no, the clouds don't show up when Tom is particularly low and/or quarelling with another pilgrim, sunset doesn't indicate peace etc.), which contributes to making this journey feel real.
In conclusion: I loved it. If you're fond of Martin Sheen and/or road movies sans explosions, and/or films dealing with working through loss without endless conversations about your feelings, you may, too.
There’s “Joost from Holland”, as he introduces himself, who as another character once calls him is the Sancho Pansa to Tom’s Don Quichotte, played by Yorick van Wageningen and on the road to lose weight, which isn’t made easier by his cheerful hedonism and enjoyment of every meal he can find. (He also has pot with him, which isn’t punished by the narrative.) Sarah the sarcastic and abrasive Canadian, played by Deborah Kara Unger, who professes to want to quit smoking (hint: she doesn’t) makes for another foil. The one character who grated on me the wrong way was Jack the Irish writer, played by James Nesbitt, because the combination of fast-talking Irishman straight from the book with Nesbitt’s performance was just too much. (Though he tones it down after his introduction, thank God.) (James Nesbitt in general is a hit and miss actor for me. I reacted aversely to him in the Jekyll pilot and when the rumour was he might be one of the candidates for the eleventh Doctor because of the Moffat connection I thought, please, NO, but then again I saw him in a fantastic Indie film with Liam Neeson and he was awesome there, so as I said – depends on the role.) I say “the wrong way” because as befits the road movie formula of course the characters get on each other’s nerves initially in a way that’s intended by the script.
The film isn’t perfect – sometimes I found the soundtrack too much, and as I said, Nesbitt. Also, as you can see with Joost and his pot and Jack and his fast talking, certain stereotyped national traits show up. But I found it really captivating regardless, and appreciate that Estevez doesn’t provide each of the characters with neat resolutions or spells out to us what, exactly, their road experiences leaves them with. He trusts his actors (not just but above all his father) and leaves room for layers and ambiguity. And the way the Camino is filmed is beautiful without ever descending into kitsch, not least because the weather keeps changing; it's not all sunshine and blue sky but lots of clouds, and not in tandem with whatever is going on drama wise (i.e. no, the clouds don't show up when Tom is particularly low and/or quarelling with another pilgrim, sunset doesn't indicate peace etc.), which contributes to making this journey feel real.
In conclusion: I loved it. If you're fond of Martin Sheen and/or road movies sans explosions, and/or films dealing with working through loss without endless conversations about your feelings, you may, too.
