This is one of my rare movie reviews, so I ask you to bear with me if it doesn't read like the usual reviews some of you may be be used to.
I'll begin with this caveat:
I watch maybe 12 movies a year, tops. I used to watch many more, but now I don't find anything that comes out of Hollywood worthy of my spending two (or more!) hours of my time. I don't watch comedies, other than Woody Allen films, I try not to watch any movie that has any kind of advertised chase scene, or explosion, or that features a comic book character. There is also a long list of actors that I simply refuse to watch, and I'll save that lengthy list for a later post. I'm also not a fan of trolls, goblins, witches, or any kind of supernatural creature, so that leaves me with...?
What have I watched, so far in 2013? Four movies come to mind: For Greater Glory (*****), starring Andy Garcia, Joyeux Noel (*****), Just Henry (**), and, more recently, The Way (*).
This short review is about The Way, released in 2010. The movie is directed by Emilio Estevez and stars Emilio's father, Martin Sheen.
The Way is supposed to be a movie about a pilgrimage on the world-famous El Camino de Santiago, the 800 km route that St. James traveled from France, through the Pyrenees, and into Spain. Daniel (Estevez) wants to live his life on his own terms and decides to travel to Europe instead of finishing his PhD in Sociology, a decision that doesn't sit well with his father, Tom (Martin Sheen), a very successful optometrist. Daniel no sooner decides to make the pilgrimage on the El Camino de Santiago, when he dies in an unfortunate accident. This is not a spoiler, the incident takes place five minutes into the film. Tom flies to France to reclaim the body of his son. Once there, in a sentimental moment, Tom decides to make the pilgrimage on behalf of his son.
On the way, Tom meets up with three characters, none of whom are true pilgrims (understood by me as religious), and eventually learns the lesson that he doesn't need to make this pilgrimage by himself.
I would have given The Way five stars had it been marketed as what it actually is: a fictitious documentary travelogue. I found Eat, Pray, Love to be more spiritual than The Way, which isn't saying much. The scenery along the route is truly spectacular. The film is interspersed with the obligatory shots of the cross, many, many crosses, and many religious-themed statues, and also a few churches. It includes many scenes of the hostels where the pilgrims can stay overnight. And all the pilgrims seem to have one heck of a party on their pilgrimage. Apparently, there are plenty of drugs and booze to go around on the El Camino. You can get fresh goat cheese in some places, and there seems to be great wine everywhere. There are even some four-five star hotels where a travel-weary pilgrim can rest her swollen feet and get some much-needed pampering.
But there is no soul to The Way. At least, there is no Catholic soul, since the ultimate aim of the movie is flawed, again, from this Catholic's perspective. I won't reveal the ending, because that would be a spoiler of sorts, so you'll have to either watch the two hour trek, or find another review that reveals more.
As Emilio probably discovered during the filming, showing a character's interior spiritual life on the big screen isn't easy. But to simply show some random Catholic imagery without providing (or showing some understanding of) spiritual context is just more Hollywood fluff film-making. It looks great, but the film means nothing. I don't mind that the movie is so shallow. After all, I'm the guy who doesn't expect anything substantial to come out of Hollywood to begin with. I just thought that since this was an indie production, and it actually dealt with a religious theme as its subject matter, that there might have been some spirituality to the film.
The Way, unfortunately, lived down to my expectations.
Still, I'm undaunted and would jump at the opportunity to embark on my own pilgrimage on the El Camino.
~JT~
I'll begin with this caveat:
I watch maybe 12 movies a year, tops. I used to watch many more, but now I don't find anything that comes out of Hollywood worthy of my spending two (or more!) hours of my time. I don't watch comedies, other than Woody Allen films, I try not to watch any movie that has any kind of advertised chase scene, or explosion, or that features a comic book character. There is also a long list of actors that I simply refuse to watch, and I'll save that lengthy list for a later post. I'm also not a fan of trolls, goblins, witches, or any kind of supernatural creature, so that leaves me with...?
What have I watched, so far in 2013? Four movies come to mind: For Greater Glory (*****), starring Andy Garcia, Joyeux Noel (*****), Just Henry (**), and, more recently, The Way (*).
This short review is about The Way, released in 2010. The movie is directed by Emilio Estevez and stars Emilio's father, Martin Sheen.
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| The Way Movie |
On the way, Tom meets up with three characters, none of whom are true pilgrims (understood by me as religious), and eventually learns the lesson that he doesn't need to make this pilgrimage by himself.
I would have given The Way five stars had it been marketed as what it actually is: a fictitious documentary travelogue. I found Eat, Pray, Love to be more spiritual than The Way, which isn't saying much. The scenery along the route is truly spectacular. The film is interspersed with the obligatory shots of the cross, many, many crosses, and many religious-themed statues, and also a few churches. It includes many scenes of the hostels where the pilgrims can stay overnight. And all the pilgrims seem to have one heck of a party on their pilgrimage. Apparently, there are plenty of drugs and booze to go around on the El Camino. You can get fresh goat cheese in some places, and there seems to be great wine everywhere. There are even some four-five star hotels where a travel-weary pilgrim can rest her swollen feet and get some much-needed pampering.
But there is no soul to The Way. At least, there is no Catholic soul, since the ultimate aim of the movie is flawed, again, from this Catholic's perspective. I won't reveal the ending, because that would be a spoiler of sorts, so you'll have to either watch the two hour trek, or find another review that reveals more.
As Emilio probably discovered during the filming, showing a character's interior spiritual life on the big screen isn't easy. But to simply show some random Catholic imagery without providing (or showing some understanding of) spiritual context is just more Hollywood fluff film-making. It looks great, but the film means nothing. I don't mind that the movie is so shallow. After all, I'm the guy who doesn't expect anything substantial to come out of Hollywood to begin with. I just thought that since this was an indie production, and it actually dealt with a religious theme as its subject matter, that there might have been some spirituality to the film.
The Way, unfortunately, lived down to my expectations.
Still, I'm undaunted and would jump at the opportunity to embark on my own pilgrimage on the El Camino.
~JT~
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