Went to see the new Ben Affleck sports/addiction film The Way Back. This is, in theory, a basketball movie that follows the basic outline of many high school or college sports movies. A man with a past has to coach a team that’s down on its luck… with his personal fortitude and love of the game and the team, they achieve victory.
Except that’s not really what the movie is about. It’s actually more about the coach and his alcohol addiction than it is a sports film. And, while it does follow some of the usual sports tropes, it goes places in the end that are unexpected. I was kind of impressed that it broke from the standard issue sports movie cliches without betraying them.
Affleck does a very good job and, in interviews, he notes his own alcoholism helped with his performance. Fair enough… he plays the drinking and drunkenness in a believable way as a functioning alcoholic without the usual cliches. He does occasionally lose control but it’s rare… usually it’s just a low simmer. And a lot – a lot – of swearing (which is an amusing problem while coaching a team in a Catholic school).
I should also add this is a pretty big bummer of a film. There’s a little bit of humor but mostly it’s a somber and glum depiction of a man out of control. It’s not a happy movie but it is an honest feeling movie. So keep that in mind… not exactly the feel good, inspirational movie of the year.
So, yeah, a good (but not great) film. It’s well acted and honest while playing with and subverting the usual sports movie tropes. It’s worth checking out… maybe on rental (at least for the next month or so).
Score: 81