Film Review – The Way Back

Four years ago, director Gavin O’Connor and actor Ben Affleck tried to do something different with the thriller genre with “The Accountant.” The attempt was admirable but the execution was flawed. The pair reteams for “The Way Back,” which hopes to bring something different to the underdog sports movie, adding some grit to formula that’s typically about broad highs and lows. The partnership is more effective the second time around, and while Brad Ingelsby’s screenplay isn’t entirely concentrated on providing dramatic hospital corners, O’Connor endeavors to supply deep feeling to the proceedings, while Affleck delivers one of his very best performances, tasked with playing a profoundly depressed and angry man, while still working to keep the character open for inspection. “The Way Back” is no classic, but there’s power in small moments and performances, rising above cliché to provide a sincere study of burning introspection. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com