Emilio Estevez cites “The Canterbury Tales,” “The Wizard of Oz” and Jack Hitt’s book “Off The Road: A Modern-Day Walk Down The Pilgrim’s Route Into Spain” as inspiration for his inspirational walkabout, “The Way.” A California opthamologist takes a sentimental journey with the ashes of his cremated son. For weeks, widower Tom walks the Christian pilgrim route his late son had only begun. A bad storm in the Pyrenees led to the death of Daniel, seen in flashbacks and apparitions. His fictional father is played by his real father, Martin Sheen, sporting a multi-metallic medley of hair hues. Testy, skeptical and out of shape, Tom gathers Canadian, Dutch and Irish traveling companions, each with their own therapeutic itineraries. Their wisdom of self-discovery is lame: “You don’t choose a life, you live it” and “Our children, they are the very best and the very worst of us.” Still, there is earnest secular tearjerking. And don’t miss the arc of the mighty swinging incense censer in the twelfth-century Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. With Deborah Kara Unger, Yorick van Wageningen, James Nesbitt. 115m. (Bill Stamets)
Ray Pride is Newcity’s Senior Editor and Film Critic. He is a contributing editor of Filmmaker magazine.
Ray’s history of Chicago Ghost Signs is planned for publication next year. Previews of the project are on Twitter and on Instagram. More photography on Instagram.
Heart: A Review of Soul The real world is soulful, too, in Pixar's bountiful life of the mind.
Seeing The Elephant: A Review Of Babylon The boisterous, brawling yet melancholy "Babylon," is a variation on film history, but more drawing for drama. It's gaudy and mean, celebratory and sorrowful.
Uncanny Ally: A Review Of M3GAN "M3GAN" sells itself in its first handful of seconds in how it introduces the handiwork of roboticist Gemma (Allison Williams, "Get Out") and her present product, PurrPetual Petz from Funki.
Spawn Sacrifice: A Review Of The Creator "The Creator" is richly detailed, punchy, pulpy, punkish entertainment that still has highly serious subjects in mind, without growing didactic and with substantial heart.
A Drag Getting Old: A Review Of Indiana Jones 5 In the protracted opening couple of reels, a very young, computer-crafted Harrison Ford plays a younger cultural marauder who first encounters the dull MacGuffin of the title.
Fine Line: A Review Of Shortcomings It's a season for the comeuppance of a curmudgeon in Randall Park's smart, biting "Shortcomings," adapted by Adrian Tomine from his graphic novel of the same name.
Emilio Estevez cites “The Canterbury Tales,” “The Wizard of Oz” and Jack Hitt’s book “Off The Road: A Modern-Day Walk Down The Pilgrim’s Route Into Spain” as inspiration for his inspirational walkabout, “The Way.” A California opthamologist takes a sentimental journey with the ashes of his cremated son. For weeks, widower Tom walks the Christian pilgrim route his late son had only begun. A bad storm in the Pyrenees led to the death of Daniel, seen in flashbacks and apparitions. His fictional father is played by his real father, Martin Sheen, sporting a multi-metallic medley of hair hues. Testy, skeptical and out of shape, Tom gathers Canadian, Dutch and Irish traveling companions, each with their own therapeutic itineraries. Their wisdom of self-discovery is lame: “You don’t choose a life, you live it” and “Our children, they are the very best and the very worst of us.” Still, there is earnest secular tearjerking. And don’t miss the arc of the mighty swinging incense censer in the twelfth-century Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. With Deborah Kara Unger, Yorick van Wageningen, James Nesbitt. 115m. (Bill Stamets)
