Review: "The Way Back" Succeeds Because of Affleck and Craftsman Gavin O'Connor

When it comes to Ben Affleck there are two types of people: Those that think he is a talented actor/writer/director and those that are wrong. Affleck is one of those actors that so often is defined by his personal life rather than the work that he does on the big screen. In this house, we know that if Affleck is showing up, it's going to be worth your time. "The Way Back" will hopefully convince more people that Ben Affleck is so much more than some Boston joke.

Jack Cunningham is having a rough go of things. Jack moves through life in an alcohol induced fog, splitting his time between his local bar and a construction site. His life wasn't always one of solitude and depression. A former basketball star, he had a budding athletic career and a beautiful wife that was all destroyed by a catastrophic life event. With his friends and family growing more worried, Jack is offered an opportunity from the least likely of places. After his former high school loses its basketball coach to a heart attack, they turn to Jack with hopes that he may be able to turn around the team's losing record. With much trepidation, Jack takes them up on their offer and it may just be the change that he needs.

While trends and tastes change, the sports movie persists. When it comes to the modern sports movie, it's hard to find a better craftsman than Gavin O'Connor. The director marks his third foray into the genre with "The Way Back." Seemingly never one to repeat himself, at least on the field, O'Connor is just now treading into the world of basketball, having already shown his prowess in hockey ("Miracle") and mixed martial arts ("Warrior"). What really separates O'Connor's sports films from the others is how he so willingly forgoes the typical excitement inducing game moments. O'Connor clearly enjoys sports, but sees the characters on the court to be far more interesting.

With "The Way Back," O'Connor reteams with Ben Affleck and the two find a beautiful groove. There is an intrinsic trust between the director and actor that allows both to excel. O'Connor builds his movie slowly and doesn't rely on gimmicks to push the story forward. Even when the film reveals a twist that would be the entire movie in the hands of a lesser director, it never becomes the real focus of "The Way Back." This is Affleck's movie and O'Connor never loses sight of that. Affleck, with a career that includes great performances (he was the bomb in "Phantoms"), may have actually outdone himself this time. His Jack isn't one for grand speeches or deep contemplation; he is a man of quiet and reserve. He basks in his pain, unwilling or too scared to address its cause. His growth is gradual and envelopes you. It is a tour-de-force performance that is wonderfully and heartbreakingly subtle.

The Blu-ray release of "The Way Back" is not nearly as successful as the film itself. When it comes to special features, the release is shockingly sparse. No deleted scenes, no audio commentary, not even an image gallery. All that is included are two behind-the-scenes featurettes that each eke over the five-minute mark. Within the featurettes, Affleck appears drained as if he put all of himself into the performance and now has nothing left to give. "The Way Back" is an emotionally rich tale of growth and struggle anchored by a central Ben Affleck performance that may just be the best of his entire career.

"The Way Back"
$19.96, blu-ray + Digital HD
https://www.warnerbros.com/movies/way-back