The Way Back

Actors:  Jim Sturgess, Colin Farrell, Ed Harris, Saoirse Ronan, Mark Strong, Alexandru Potocean, Gustaf Skarsgard
Rating:  7 out of 10, You’re going to get epic scale any time Peter Weir is involved in a film and that’s certainly present as we follow a group of escapees from a Russian World War 2 gulag.  There’s a lot of walking involved as the group moves from Siberia across Mongolia and Tibet to India and the necessary attendant drama.  Weir also has a talent for eliciting notable performances and both Sturgess and Harris shine as the two leaders of the group.  I know they were going for authenticity but some of the accents were so deep as to make the language indecipherable, especially whenever Farrell was talking.  I’m not sure this ever really happened but it was a great testament to the human need for freedom and what we’ll go through to achieve it. The Siberian tourist agency (if one exists) however is not going to be happy with this film.
MVP:  Sturgiss as the Polish POW walking his way home