The Way

Directed by Emilio Estevez, The Way follows Martin Sheen’s Tom as he arrives in France to pick up the body of his dead son and subsequently finds himself lured into completing the 800 kilometer trek that claimed his boy’s life. Estevez takes a laid-back, thoroughly relaxed approach that admittedly proves an effective complement to the material, with the film’s pervasively pleasant atmosphere heightened by Sheen’s winning performance and a frequent emphasis on scenery that’s nothing short of breathtaking. And although Tom’s first two traveling companions (Yorick van Wageningen’s Joost and Deborah Kara Unger’s Sarah) add some color to the proceedings, Estevez’s decision to introduce Tom’s third tagalong, James Nesbitt’s Jack, with a protracted sequence in which the would-be writer rants and raves effectively brings the movie to a dead stop (ie it’s just an over-the-top and grating interlude). The character eventually becomes an engaging figure, but the damage is done; The Way subsequently suffers from a second half that is far too often bogged down in melodramatic episodes (eg Tom drinks too much and tells off his new friends), which ensures that the film is ultimately at its best in its comparatively simple first half. (The movie’s problems are exacerbated by an extreme case of length, as this is certainly the sort of endeavor that would be best served by a 90 minute or less running time.) Still, The Way is, more often than not, a charming piece of work that ultimately works as both a film and as an irresistible travelogue.

*** out of ****