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We won’t be seeing “The Way Back” until 2011, but since it has a nice little qualifying run in December, it is considered for the 2010 Academy Awards. Frustrating for average bloggers like me who won’t have the slightest chance of including it in year-end favorites and predictions, perfect for the studio to offset fan reaction if it could be toxic.
I personally can’t get very jazzed about this movie, particularly after seeing the National Geographic logo among the production financiers. It looks very much like a high school history class documentary, which doesn’t exactly have me brimming with excitement for Oscars. Add to that the fact that the movie almost went straight-to-DVD only makes it worse. The subject matter, avoiding oppression in Russia, got the cold shoulder from the Academy in 2008 through “Defiance.” Oscar bait in general seems to be on the decline, with the trend over the past decade to support more “movie of the moment” types.
But nonetheless, the movie seems to have some critical support. Kris Tapley at In Contention is fully on board, writing that the movie is “quietly profound, epic, bold filmmaking at its very best…unconventional in its depiction of a long march by Siberian Gulag escapees out of Communist Russia. But rather than becoming repetitive or aimless, the film’s series of vignettes depicting the mundane particulars of survival (be it physical or psychological) is incredibly moving and consistently engaging.”
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Says Sasha Stone of Awards Daily, “There is no doubt that ‘The Way Back’ is a difficult sit. Is it an important movie? It will be to some groups, no doubt. Is it Weir’s best? Probably not. Is it one of the best of 2010? Most certainly.” (The movie isn’t without its critics, as Eugene Novikov of Cinematical calls it “sadistically intent on making you feel as much of its subjects’ physical agony as possible.”)
So what does the movie have going for it? For starters, there’s director Peter Weir, an immensely likable industry figure who has six Academy Award nominations to his name: four for directing, one for writing (“Green Card”), and one for producing a Best Picture (“Master and Commander”). Stone calls this movie Weir’s “labor of love,” something which could help out in a competitive year for Best Director. I can’t help but feel that Danny Boyle has the grueling visual experience slot for this year with his incredibly affecting “127 Hours,” and Darren Aronofsky, another powerful visual filmmaker, could find his way into the mix for “Black Swan.”
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There are also some very respected performers in the movie. Ed Harris could shake up Best Supporting Actor race, which is only vaguely defined as of now, given that he has been nominated four times before, three here and once in leading for “Pollock” back in 2000. The “overdue” argument could easily be applied for him since it’s being shoved down our throats for Annette Bening, who has one less nomination. Saoirse Ronan, nominated at 13 for her role in “Atonement,” could definitely factor into the race. If they recognized her once at a young age, why not recognize her again for a much grittier role?
Apparently, the big surprise and standout of the movie is Colin Farrell. According to Stone, “watching Farrell here I was suddenly aware of how good he really is,” and according to Tapley, “it’s one of his best performances, hands down, one of his most organic and believable portrayals.” Farrell has had a rough personal life littered with sex tapes and alcoholism, and it’s definitely distracted from his acting. He has, however, won a Golden Globe for Best Actor (Musical/Comedy) for his turn in “In Bruges.” This category is getting less competitive by year, but it’s still a sign that he has some respect. An intense, dramatic role in “The Way Back” could be the perfect inroad to Academy glory, although I expect Harris to be the movie’s contender.
However, there’s also the money issue. ”The Way Back” is being distributed by Newmarket, a fledgling studio in the Oscar campaigning industry who might not have the cash or the connections to play the politics of the Oscars right. Face it, being a good movie is the basic prerequisite for Best Picture in the same way that being in the House of Representatives makes someone a Presidential candidate. It takes money and influence to move a representative into serious consideration for the nation’s highest office, and the same goes for movies. ”The Way Back” could easily be droned out by bigger, flashier studio campaigns.
But let’s hope it really comes down to quality.
BEST BETS FOR NOMINATIONS: Best Supporting Actor (Harris), Best Cinematography
OTHER POSSIBLE NOMINATIONS: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor (Farrell), Best Supporting Actress (Ronan), Best Film Editing
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