Decent rather than outstanding drama

Rating: 7/10 (11 January 2011)

It's a mark of the quality of Peter Weir's work to date that you expect something special when you are going to see one of his movies. Perhaps this is the reason I felt slightly disappointed with "The Way Back".
It is a good movie that tells a inspiring story based on actual events. During World War II a group of men escape from a Siberian camp for political prisoners and trek on foot for thousands of miles to freedom. This story is told perfectly well by Weir. There is great cinematography in a varied series of landscapes and some harrowing scenes both before and after the escape. However the movie didn't stay with me for any time after seeing it.
There is a high quality cast, featuring Ed Harris, Colin Farrell and Saoirse Ronan.
I'd describe "The Way Back" as a well-made drama that is worth seeing on DVD rather than arranging babysitters etc for a trip to the cinema.