Good performances

Rating: 7/10 (24 December 2013)

A group of gulag prisoners escape from Siberia and walk all the way to India. Janusz (Jim Sturgess) is a Polish prisoner. Valka (Colin Farrell) has a criminal past. Mr Smith (Ed Harris) is an American. Irena (Saoirse Ronan) is a girl they pick up along the way.
There is an allusion to a true story of 3 prisoners emerging in India. That story is questionable, but more importantly, it distracts from the movie. The reality of the movie becomes a constant nagging question. It is probably better to just let the story be completely fictional. Irena is probably the hardest to believe. She's an obvious device to add drama.
The best performance may be Colin Farrell. The accent can be excused. It's his intensity that stands out. And Jim Sturgess is compelling. All the acting is superb.