I kinda get the creative intentions of 'The Way' (essentially 'Torchwood: Children of Earth' / a serialised adaptation of 'Children of Men' set in Wales from a different team / production studio) but personally, I think Michael Sheen at the helm of the project is kinda what's continuously snagging for me (inhibiting the fruition of something intellectually nourishing - something it could've easily been), throughout - which is why (I've said it before & I'll vehemently say it again to stoically reiterate what I firmly believe) actors should just humbly stick to doing what they're great at (in front of the camera) & leave filmmaking to the experienced professionals (behind it - for good reason).
The basic fact is we can't be brilliant at everything (literally none of us, as talented as we may be in certain respective fields) & that's perfectly okay to admit. Jodie Foster, Zack Snyder, Simon Kinberg, Michael Sheen etc. (a growing list of undoubtedly skilled individuals who - for some reason - convince themselves they're additionally capable of doing everyone else's jobs, as well as their own) would therefore greatly benefit from putting aside their egos & having the humility to accept their brazen limitations. Let this be another shining example of that.
No, I'm being harsh (or am I?). On the one hand, I really appreciate what he's ambitiously attempting to artistically do (for a first time director, genuinely ain't too bad at all - granted, not exactly a ringing endorsement, I know - though the best I'm willing to honestly offer) & it's a refreshingly quirky approach that gives the series a sense of individualism / authenticity; using the somewhat retro (arguably even hyper-surrealistic), yet unmistakably distinctive style of something classic like "Threads" (capturing, maybe simultaneously heightening the existential anxiety people experienced in the 1980s - a palpable, dated cynicism & unease regarding our potential future that permeated media we consumed then, both in music, TV & film), re-contextualising the foreboding nihilism of the past (protest pieces, voicing general discontentment) for modern audiences to reflect a more relevant paranoia (than nuclear Armageddon) to communicate meaningful messages in the present as a social / political commentary (we could all currently relate to on an intimate / emotional level)... But on the other hand, although he's got some undeniably great ideas (in truth, far too many for a mere 3 hours), none of them really come together cohesively to form anything particularly satisfying to watch. We're merely viewing a disjointed collection of loosely connected plot threads, devoid of depth. Furthermore, the stakes continuously remain frustratingly absent (characters seldom have obstacles to overcome; everything just happens, the journey moves on to the next location; most conflict's borne from needless bickering) & again, I feel like a more seasoned director would be able to translate this assortment of plausibly fascinating thoughts (or a careful selection of the best on offer amongst a pile he enthusiastically created) to the screen in perhaps a superior, nuanced manner, doing justice to what's being depicted via a visual medium. Simply lacks the focus I'd usually associate from the mind of James Graham (which is odd) & although every writer is obviously fallible (they're only human; even our greatest authors have strewn together something less than what they're known to be capable of, from time to time), the half-baked, heavy-handedness of the execution of his concepts in this latest tale does merit particular acknowledgement, since it's so blatantly uncharacteristic to miss as much as he has. Consequently, I'm prompted to question why - or if it's caused by someone else's involvement.
The first episode's promising & relatively decent (theoretically, might have been better as a stand-alone 90 minute TV feature; one & done)... But by the 2nd & 3rd, the narrative sort of unfortunately crumbles, losing momentum (any direction whatsoever, in truth - meandering aimlessly) before burning itself out completely. Doesn't seem to know whether it wants to be or say by the dénouement; perchance an impassioned, grounded analysis of a broken, centralised political system (London neglecting rural Welsh / Scottish / Northern Irish communities in areas with different histories / cultures) - responsible for the disenfranchisement of an entire, younger, local population living across nations, meant to be united - (in which case, where is the exploration in to the lives of the organ grinders making these calls, not the monkeys?) & subsequently, what it would arguably take to uproot the oppressive institution via an act of revolution (could it even be done, in principle?)... Or a heartfelt portrayal of unresolved grief & the destructiveness of inherited, intergenerational trauma (visualised in an abstract, expressionistic fashion - jarringly conflicting with reality trying to be tonally emulated for dramatic effect) etc. Thematically, these are two extraordinarily different directions to advance one's trajectory in. Plus, the random Darth Vader subplot / twist adding nothing of value... There's too much going on, in spite of the few gorgeously contemplative moments interspersed across the dragged-out run-time.
