A life-changing walk

The Way (2010)
Certified: PG
Duration: 128 minutes
Directed by: Emilio Estevez
Starring: Martin Sheen, Deborah Kara Unger, James Nesbitt, Yorick vanWageningen, Emilio Estevez
KRS release

Emilio Estevez brings to the screen a film which really leaves a long-lasting impression. Outwardly, The Way looks deceptively simple but it is imbued with a strong set of emotions and is evidently a labour of love of both Emilio Estevez and his father Martin Sheen.

The film is inspired by the real pilgrimage that Mr Estevez’s son did with his grandfather Mr Sheen. The walk in question is the one known as El Camino de Santiago or St James’s Way. This pilgrimage is set in the Galician region which is the area from which Emilio Estevez’s family from his mother’s side, originates.

The director takes the wise decision to be spiritual but avoids being religious and keeps his hand light so that the attention is all on the characters and on the voyage they undergo.

The film revolves around the character portrayed by the excellent and inspiring Mr Sheen. He plays doctor Tom Avery who seems to be leading quite a comfortable life but we realise, through flashbacks, that he does not see eye to eye with his son Daniel (Emilio Estevez).

Tom’s easy life is soon interrupted when he receives news that his son was killed in a storm while making the pilgrimage to the Santiago cathedral. He travels to Spain to identify his body. But once there he decides to try to understand his son better by doing the pilgrimage himself.

The film follows Tom’s walk and the way he starts looking at life with new eyes. It also tells the story of some of the individuals whom Tom meets along his way.

It’s interesting to see his change in attitude and how he starts look differently at the people around him.

Among other characters, Tom meets an Irish writer (James Nesbitt) who is suffering from writers’ block and a Canadian woman played by Deborah Kara Unger who is in emotional pain. These stories are not delved into too much but they add atmosphere and a sense of all-rounding purpose to the film.

The Way delivers several messages including that it’s not worthwhile living if one does not take the time to consider whether one is happy or not, and to really appreciate life.

Another asset of the film is the beautiful cinematography by Juan Miguel Azpiroz that accentuates the incredible scenery.

Mr Estevez and Mr Sheen seem to have invested a lot of emotion into this project and the result more than does the duo justice. The Way is worth traveling and will make the audience think inwardly rather than just about what is happening around them.