The Way
Now showing at Rave, Quality 16, Brighton
Review by Jeff Meyers of the Metro Times
Grade: B-

Emilio Estevez, both as an actor and a filmmaker, is nothing if not sincere. Ever since he played the jock who falls for the geek girl in "The Breakfast Club," his career has been punctuated by characters and projects that drip with earnestness. Watching his recent films ("Bobby," "The War at Home"), it's clear that the actor-turned-director sees cinema as a meditative medium for his well-intentioned ideas and viewpoints. It's a welcome counterpoint to his more famous bad-boy brother's antics, and the artistic answer to dad Martin Sheen's social and political activism.

Still, art requires more than just intention, and Estevez hasn't quite found the skills to balance his sense of storytelling with his desire to impart meaning to his work. "The Way," an unpretentious drama that deals with grief and transformation, is uplifting without being maudlin, and has a heart on its sleeve sincerity that sidesteps sentimentality. It's also a bit too long and a bit too obvious.

Read the full review here