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Reviews
The Way (2010)
Simple yet flawed acting
This is a film that you keep thinking about in the days after seeing it. It's a great story and gives you plenty of introspection about your own life. In that sense, an excellent film and makes an impact on the audience long after seeing it. However I would also say the acting is variable, the plot can be overly simplistic and at times lacks subtlety in bringing the audience along. Martin Sheen was exceptionally well cast and plays an unapologetic father with a mission to complete. However for his co-stars unfortunately this isn't the case. Debra Kara Unger has some terrible lines to read especially in the scene when she first encounters (Boomer?)and her performance doing this is rough. James Nesbitt too reads his lines as if he's in a hurry to be somewhere else, with little of the required spontaneity the part demands. Probably the worst I've ever seen him act and a poor casting choice. The Dutchman, well, its a cliché part but too could have done with some more polish on his story and developed his real reasons for the walk earlier, to make it more believable. However perhaps is a show of how good this story this is, it still comes out as a superb film overall.
Off the Edge (1976)
Great 70's Film
Saw this when I was a kid and loved it. Two guys hang gliding & skiing through the Southern Alps of New Zealand. The technical ability to ski where they did is still highly impressive thirty years later. Often nowadays I see similar stunts which in my opinion still don't come close to the exhilaration of what the did with virtually no backup or support. The hang gliding ability also is great and must have been dangerous particularly in the changing wind flows through the southern alps
This was filmed when NZ was relatively unknown except for hard core ski junkies and shows some great scenes of the country.
Thinking now what they needed to do to actually get up there with all the 1970s gear, let alone film it was true reward when nominated for an academy award in 1977.
The Theme song sung by John Hanlon 'Higher Trails' was a great choice and still today is representative of the era.
Wherever these guys are now, they must be really happy to look back on this achievement. Wonder where they ended up after this?