Not Bad but Not Great.

Rating: 5/10 (14 December 2019)

Overall I enjoyed this film yet there are a few issues I have with it...
1. Whether or not the story is factual plays a huge role in the likeability and emotional impactfulness delivered by this film. Apparently the guy who wrote the book in which this movie is based upon has had his accounting of events called into question. If what he wrote was indeed factual, then Wow! What an experience and triumph of the human will! Unfortunately, from what I can gather, there is probably a better than average chance that it is all made up. With that in mind, it takes away from the overall pop and desire to emotionally invest in the film.
2. I understand that this film tells the tale of an incredibly grueling and lengthy foot journey through Siberia, Mongolia, and Tibet. To document and detail every single event would be unrealistic. However, there are an abundant of tense filled moments that Wier intoduces to us along the way but them simply glosses over. For example, at the beginning the escapees are faced with tumultuous weather in the dead of a Siberian winter while facing the daunting task of finding Lake Baikal which will in turn lead them down to the trans Siberian railway and across the Mongolian border into safety and freedom. This in itself is a masterful set up that leaves the viewer hooked and excited to see how our traversers will fare in the face of such overwhelming adversity. Get the popcorn! Order a pizza and crack open a beer because this is going to be a wild ride, right?!?! Nope! The next scene conveniently skips ahead three months to Springtime and our friends are out of the cold. We are left with no payoff whatsoever. Weir does this throughout the film, the worst of which is the glossing over of the unbelievably difficult hike over the Himalayas in winter. Again, Weir sets this up beautifully! Our prisoners find themselves in Tibet in the home of a generous family who agrees to care for them, feed them and shelter them as walking to India in the chilling cold and life threatening blizzards is suicide. Driven by the will to face his wife, Janusz defies their sage advice and treks on! Wow! What a moment! Can Janusz and the other survive the almost suicidal mission of making over the Himalayas to British controlled India?!?! Once again, I can't friggin wait! Invite your friends over, get a comfortable spot on the coach, and get the microwaveable popcorn ready to go because this is gonna be a doozy, right?!?! Wrong! The very next scene shows the men we have been journeying with all along simply arriving in India. No payoff with a massive set up. The Way Out does way too much skimming over which fails to do it the justice this film deserves. I will say that Weir does a fine job with the desert part of the journey.
With that, it's a decent film. Not bad but not great.