The Way Back

Peter Weir is a probably one of my favorite directors.

His films pepper my life from as far back as I can remember, seriously I've never known a point in my life when I didn't love 'Picnic At Hanging Rock', my Mother snuck me in to see 'Witness' for my birthday after I spent weeks pestering her and my favorite English Teacher announce his retirement the week after I saw 'Dead Poets Society'.

Peter Weir and I have a connection - he may not know it but we do. So I have been waiting years, 7 in total I think since 'Master and Commander', for his new film. Another great adventure story, this time with scenery done by National Geographic, it sounded so amazing and the cast, Ed Harris, Jim Sturgess, Colin Farrell, Mark Strong and Saoirse Ronan, any one of whom I'd quite willing pay to see in a film.

Its the story of a daring escape through Russian, Mongolia, China and Tibet by a group of desperate political prisoners. As they travel the 4000 miles across some of the most inhospitable and stunning landscapes in the world, the endure great deprivation and extremes of weather. While the veracity of the story has been doubted the actors give and amazing portrayal of human endurance and courage.

But to be honest the film left me a little disappointed, with less emphasis on adventure and more focus on the amazing courage of the characters and not enough gorgeous scenery, stunning scenery but not enough of the long, lingering 'travel porn' I've come to expect from National Geographic. In saying that it was a good film and like all Peter Weir films I have no doubt I will buy it on DVD, but my biggest problem with it was it wasn't a great film. As criticism goes it pretty minor.

Unfortunately the cinema I saw this in was hosting a meeting of the local debating society - honestly I once went to see a performance at a theatre in China where everyone kept talking during the show, it was like that. My personal belief is people get so used to watching movies at home on their big screen TV they can no longer distinguish between the two . . . Come on people surely you can be quite for 2 hours?