This is about as cliché as it can possibly get kids. Peter Weir is notorious for overwrought, dramatic bullshit layered over the top of pretty heavy or epic story lines. The Way Back looks to be no different than the rest; in fact it looks like a prototype of Weir’s M.O. How many times have we seen a prison camp movie with people trying to escape or on the run? Put three zeros behind any digit and I would venture to say that guess would be pretty close to an accurate answer.
Still, if it’s been done a thousand times, there’s usually a reason. Watching human courage battling the odds (as obvious as they may be) still makes for compelling story telling. Drop in a cast of familiar faces that everyone loves (Colin Farrell, Ed Harris, Jim Sturgess and Saoirse Ronan) and you’ve probably got a critically acclaimed blockbuster on your hands.
The Way Back was scheduled to open in January, but now I guess there will be early screenings in L.A. and New York on December 29th… last minute try for the Oscars anyone? And judging from the subject matter and the straight-up “Hollywoodness” of this trailer, it’s exactly the kind of tripe that Academy eats up. At any rate, the domestic trailer was just dropped by Yahoo!, but there’s an embedded version right here. Just check under the seats…
The Truman Show. Witness. The Mosquito Coast. These are all beyond awesome, specifically the first one listed. Get out of my face.
Peter Weir is notorious for overwrought, dramatic bullshit layered over the top of pretty heavy or epic story lines.
Uhhh, no he’s not.
What Matt said.
THe only time that Weir has been over-wrought is in his not-so-epic stories, as in the one bad film on his filmography: Dead Poets Society, starring our favourite, Robert Sean Leonard…
I’m excited for new Weir, I really would have liked to see his William Gibson adaptation PATTERN RECOGNITION, but that looks like it is not to be…Either way, Weir is one of my favourite directors.
Hilarious way to introduce a director. Master and Commander rules.
I’ll back Andrew on this one. I love The Truman Show, but I’m pretty lukewarm on most Weir films. Oh, I also like Picnic at Hanging Rock. But even Master and Commander and Witness I didn’t really get into.
Yes, I’ve been raving incessently about Master and Commander for years, and Picnic at Hanging Rock is one of my favourite horror films. Period. Also, The Last Wave, Fearless, Truman Show, etc. There are very few film directors that can make epic sized, block-buster-price-tagged art films, but Weir seems to do it effortlessly, time and time again.
Master and Commander, Picnic at Hanging Rock, Mosquito Coast are great. Dead Poets Society, ah, whatever.
Looking forward to this. Andrew’s odd attack on one the most consistently talented directors kinda threw me. I love Master & Commander but throw in Fearless, Gallipoli, even Green Card – the man knows how to make a movie!
Andrew and I agree on a lot of things but on this, we’re definitely not in agreement. I’m with the majority, I’m a fan but THE TRUMAN SHOW is not at the top of my Weir list.
Just because of this argument, I went and watched Master & Commander tonite. Making it the 3rd time I’ve watched that this year. I’d kill to see this one on BluRay or better yet, playing at the local rep-cinema. I hope Toronto Underground Cinema or Bell Lightbox is reading this site!
Kurt – wowsers. 3 times in one year! Quite a feat considering how long that movie is!
It’s only 2h08min without the closing credits. It is merely the size and the number of characters and overall epic-journey feel that makes it seem like a 3h movie. It’s a marvel of compact energy and efficiency, all things considered.
I watched Master on Blu-ray this year, very underrated film. That said the first time I watched it I wasn’t all that impressed with it… maybe it takes repeat viewings, but as history porn, it is up there, you feel every detail of that ship, of the people on it, of that era.
Yeah, except for minor details like ACTUALLY PLAYING THE INSTRUMENTS THEY’RE SUPPOSED TO BE PLAYING. Talk about betraying any sort of authenticity, those musical scenes with Crowe and Bettany waving their hands around pretending to play obviously takes you out of it.
It’s been awhile since I saw the movie (in theatres) but I was very disappointed. As far as I remember, it focuses on a ton of minor characters who are pointless, and somehow tries to trick you into feeling for them without giving you a reason. And then they shoot some cannons.
aside from that 30 seconds, the rest is pretty believable
Whoa whoa WHOA! I guess the post does come off as an attack on Weir. It isn’t really meant to be. I happen to like overwrought dramatic bullshit over the top of epic or heavy story lines. I love Witness, Mosquito Coast and even Black Rain to some extent. But if you don’t think these movies (along with Green Card, DPS and Truman Show) are heavy handed drama then I don’t know what to say.
However I am attacking this trailer at the outset.
“aside from that 30 seconds, the rest is pretty believable”
Sloppy is sloppy. You can’t have authenticity and at the same time not have authenticity. Or at least, this movie couldn’t.
Black Rain? That’s not Peter Weir.
But anyway, late to the party, but I had to join in on the Peter Weir Love. Truman Show and Picnic At Hanging Rock are waaay up there for me.
Black Rain is Peter Weir. Funny thing is I thought it was a different Black Rain. as it turns out I haven’t seen the Weir movie. But I’ve seen the Ridley Scott one.
Black Rain is Ridley Scott. Painfully mediocre Ridley Scott…although I do actually like the Kate Capshaw femme-fatale in that one.
Apparently Peter Weir’s Black Rain is called Last Wave in the states. And it’s a Criterion title to boot. I’ve never even heard of it,
OK, that makes sense – I’ve heard of Last Wave, but not a Peter Weir directed Black Rain.
I’m a fan of Weir’s stuff from all phases of his career, but without a doubt my favorite works of his are his artsy, Australian films.
The Last Wave is the film he did right after Picnic at Hanging Rock, and it has some of the same dreamy, abstract qualities. I’d recommend it.
The Last Wave is most excellent filmmaking. It’s got a knock out of an ending too….What is it with Weir and Water?
Hebron – I’m pretty sure Russell played the violin onscreen. He stated in interviews it was one of the hardest things he ever had to learn for film. It looked real enough to me anyway.
That should be Henrik! Don’t know where “Hebron” came from.
Russell Crowe is a proud actor, but I think he overstates his ability if he claims to have learned to play the violin. At least it’s not visible in the performance.
He can play guitar so its not a huge stretch to see him learning to play the violin.
I didn’t have any big issues with the music scenes, they work fine for me, certainly NOT A DEAL BREAKER FOR THE ENTIRE FILM! I mean if they played “Kung Fu Fighting” during one of those interludes, I can understand but otherwise, not an issue!
I’m a Peter Weir fan and love Dead Poets Society. I don’t understand how anyone could hate it so much as some appear to here. I have been looking forward to The Way Back for a long time. This trailer makes it look great. Even more epic than Master and Commander. I’m planning on watching his Fearless again and Galipoli for the first time, both are on Netflix Instant. I saw Picnic at Hanging Rock over 10 years ago when my tastes were still developing and remember hating it for being so slow and boring and having an unsatisfying conclusion, fwiw. Who knows, I might like it now.