Way Back – off track

The Way Back
DIRECTED BY: Peter Weir
STARRING: Jim Sturgess, Colin Farrell, Ed Harris, Saoirse Ronan
CERT: PG
In the words of Eddie Murphy’s exchange student from Cameroon in the excellent Trading Places: “Merry New Year!”
I only hope it’s a better year for cinema than 2010, which served up so much muck that I had to start charging danger money for these reviews on the grounds that going to the movies had officially become a psychological hazard.
But my expectations aren’t high.
They had been for this film, though. Peter Weir (Fearless, Dead Poet’s Society, The Truman Show) hasn’t made a film since 2003’s Master And Commander: The Far Side Of The World and his new project promised to be a cracker.
It’s the story of a group of convicts who escape from a Russian gulag in 1940 and trek across mountains and deserts all the way to India.
The tale is based on the 1956 book by Slavomir Rawicz, who claimed it was an account of actual events, though a BBC documentary has since suggested it was all a work of Rawicz’s imagination.
True or not, it’s a fine story and no better man than Weir to bring it to the screen. Except that, for whatever reason, the man is not on top form here and by his standards the film is a disappointment.
Jim Sturgess is Janusz, a Polish soldier accused of spying when the Russians march into his country in 1939. For his alleged sins he’s carted off to a Siberian prison camp, where he makes the acquaintance of American inmate Mr Smith (Harris) and Russian convict Valka (Farrell), a thief who’s making a name for himself as a bit of a psycho.
Janusz also starts to make quick plans for an escape and his new comrades – along with several more of Stalin’s guests – are up for the chance. This isn’t The Great Escape and the movie is more concerned with what happens after the breakout but still this part of the film feels a tad rushed and the lads are out and on the run before we even know them.
Then again, the characters and their relationships don’t seem to be Weir’s priority for most of the film. His focus is on being true to the events – historical or otherwise – and that means getting this ragged bunch across the Siberian plains, through Mongolia, the scorching Gobi desert, the Himalayas and finally into India. Along the way, the harsh conditions naturally take their toll and Weir doesn’t discriminate as to which of his cast makes an early exit due to the general misery and misfortune, which is commendable, as are the performances. In the lead role, Sturgess carries the story well and Farrell does a decent job as the mad Russian but both are outshone by veteran Ed Harris. Saoirse Ronan has a small role too and does a nice job.
The film looks great and is engaging as a story of triumph against ferocious odds but it isn’t as emotionally involving as it should be and the middle section drags along very slowly and repetitively. Maybe that’s how it happened but considering that it mightn’t have happened at all, why not throw in a bit more excitement and adventure to liven things up?
Who knows. In any case it’s a rare misstep in Weir’s recent career. And considering it’s taken him a total of 20 years to release his last four films, there’s no telling when we’ll hear from him again.

Animals United
DIRECTED BY: Reinhard Kloos, Holger Tappe
VOICES: James Corden, Stephen Fry, Dawn French, Jim Broadbent
CERT: G

After watching one of those killer bees movies many years ago, I asked my science teacher if such a deliberate invasion of homicidal insects could really happen. “No,” she said. “Animals live by instinct. They don’t have the ability to hatch a plot against humans.”
So I think of my (actually quite good looking) science teacher every time I watch Jaws. And her words come to mind now as I think of Animals United – something I will surely never do again as soon as I finish this review.
A German production that has been re-voiced for the English-speaking audience, this is an environmental sermon dressed up as an animated feature that will entertain – and maybe even influence – pliable younger viewers. Their parents might not take so kindly to being preached at.
Anyway, the world is banjaxed, thanks to the bad humans. Oil spills have the sea destroyed, the Australian outback is on fire, polar bears are sailing south and the famous ancient Galapagos turtles are having to move house.
On top of it all, a gigantic dam has cut off the water supply to the African plain and the animals are dying of thirst. But they just can’t agree about what should be done. That’s until a plucky little meerkat called Billy (Corden) and the peace-loving lion Socrates (Fry) manage to rally the troops and they all march up the dry riverbed together to bust the dam.
Animals United is aimed squarely at the Ice Age fan base and it might do well there despite the fact that its animation is below the standard set by the likes of Dreamworks and Pixar. And as is usually the case, the 3D doesn’t improve things much.
Oh well. Things can only get better, right?