Not the kind of special we've come to expect from Peter Weir, but still a great flick

Rating: 8/10 (30 December 2010)

My top 10 list is sure gonna be hard to make this year. There have so many great-but-not-GREAT movies this year and The Way Back is one of them. Don't get me wrong, it is an excellent film but the screenplay isn't quite as good or interesting as it has been in some of Weir's other movies. Not that that stops Weir from directing this film in the masterful manner that he usually shows, seriously, I think he is one of the few directors in film history who can "do anything" if that makes sense because despite any flaws this film may have, it is a beautiful piece of work and if DP Russell Boyd doesn't get an Oscar nom then eyebrows will be raised. The acting is as reliably good as we've come to expect from the cast (I still can't believe that Saoirse Ronan is ONLY 16 with the number of great roles she has on her CV) with the exception of Colin Farrell, who is absolutely fantastic as the violent Russian criminal whose "skills" the other escapees may come to need. With this and In Bruges, his transition from Hollywood bad-boy to respectable actor is complete, the performance is Oscar-nomination worthy at least and he stands out to the point where it is weaker in sections without his character. Some critics have labeled The Way Back a disappointment and whilst I can see why, its still matches a lot of the other beloved films this year for quality and I hope it isn't completely ignored come January 25th.