Gavin O’Connor
The Way Back is a deeply affecting and moving redemption story anchored by an absolutely outstanding performance from Ben Affleck.
Walking out of the theater, all I could think about was how much I had enjoyed watching The Accountant. It had the right amount of action, comedic relief and character depth – specifically with the film’s main character, Christian Wolff. When it came time to sit and write about what I had seen, though, I found that this great movie may have been more lacking than I had initially thought.
Well, you can’t say that Ben Affleck isn’t trying to capitalize on his success. Since winning his second Oscar for Argo, he’s famously taken over the role of Batman, including writing and directing the upcoming caped crusader’s first solo film in the DC Extended Universe. In addition to that commitment, he’s also peppered in several acting appearances in stand-alone thrillers.
Within the last couple of years, the Western seems to have made a semi-comeback. Recent notable titles include John Maclean’s directorial debut Slow West, the horror-thriller Bone Tomahawk, and Quentin Tarantino’s claustrophobic and violent The Hateful Eight. And, in just a few months, a remake of The Magnificent Seven will be released, a film adaptation which has attracted the likes of Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Vincent D’Onofrio and more (which is hopefully an indication that it is at least halfway decent).
The production nightmare of Jane Got a Gun garnered more media attention than a film of its size could hope for. Acclaimed director Lynne Ramsay quit one day before shooting was scheduled to begin, leading to a cast and crew shake-up and a very public (and very nasty) lawsuit. Once the film was in the can, distributor Relativity Media pushed the release for over a year only to be delayed further by the company’s bankruptcy filing.
The time has come to continue the series on the best knockout films of all-time. The goal is to share my ten favorite movies of this genre, which may include boxing, mixed martial arts, and wrestling, to name a few. If you are just joining the discussion, the series started with a review of the 2004 Best Picture winner Million Dollar Baby, and a review of the 2014 Best Picture nominee Foxcatcher.
