Tuesday, May 28

The Way is the Way to Experience the Way.




(Written, produced and directed by Emilio Estevez. Starring Martin Sheen, Deborah Kara Unger, Yorick Van Wageningen, James Nesbitt. Filmax Entertainment, 2011. 123 mins.Rated PG).

Martin Sheen plays Tom Avery, an American doctor who comes to Spain to collect the remains of his adult son (played by Emilio Estevez), killed in the Pyrenee while walking the Camino de Santiago, Tom decides to embark on the historical pilgrimage to honor his son and deal with his grief. Along the way he meets other pilgrims with their own issues; a hefty Dutchman ( Yorick van Wageningen), a chain smoking Canadian ( Deborah Kara Unger) and an Irishman with serious writer’s block (James Nesbitt). 

This small film came out in 2011 and was missed by most, which is a shame. It’s a thoughtful, patient story that nevers rushes the story or its characters.The elder Sheen plays the grieving father with restraint but you can see there is a lot of pain underneath as he relentlessly hikes the Camino.You can’t but feel for the sorrow as Avery scatters bits of his son’s ashes along the route.

The others join in with him reluctantly but form a quiet bond as they deal with their own issues. Filmed along the real Camion De Compostola it shows the beautiful scnery and the multi cultures along the way naturally This film demostrates simple effective storytelling without flash or bombast. A great movie to watch on a friday night.

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