The Way Back

Looks like a sports movie and it is, but only for 50%, because there is much more to this story:.Ben Affleck is an alcohol addicted basketball coach, who volunteers to coach a team of lousy amateurs at his old highschool. That's the sports part of the movie.

But there is a lot of (bleak) slowburning drama as well. Look at the poster. Ben Affleck looks depressed and he is. In this story Ben Affleck has lost his wife, his son has died and he has lost every dream or hope he has ever had. He only drinks himself into oblivion to numb his pain. Will he in some way be able to start coping with the death of his young son, which caused him to start drinking in the first place? That's the heart of this touching movie.

The good: Terrific acting performance of an alcohol addict by Ben Affleck. Subtle direction of this drama by director Gavin O Conner. Really touching and UPLIFTING story.

Any bad? Well, it's certainly not a straight forward success sports movie. It's quite bleak and depressing at moments, because the real focus of this movie is about Ben Affleck's alcohol addiction and some might not like to watch such a slowburning movie about such a bleak subject... I did though. I was really impressed...