3. The Way Back (2010)
Based on true events, The Way Back follows Farrell as part of another ensemble; this time a group of PoWs that escape from a brutal Serbian gulag and walk across China, the Gobi Desert, Tibet, over the Himalayas and into India. While it may not have an immediately attention grabbing plot youd be unwise to miss this one. The superb Australian director, Peter Wier, makes notoriously few movies -only 13 in 36 years of career. Hes quiet, but when he opens his mouth, it pays to listen. Farrell plays a dangerous criminal here (something hes undeniably good at), and although he does a great job of making you believe that he might actually belong in prison, in such scenes where he speaks in his damn convincing Russian drawl about his beloved homeland, he also manages to lace that surface level menace with a somewhat softer, more sensitive core of deep seated belief. Of course, its also the fine ensemble cast around him - including Ed Harris and Jim Sturgess the superb direction and immersive cinematography that make this an unmissable movie but Farrells presence cant help but be felt throughout. Theres valid argument in saying that Farrell hasnt quite yet achieved full Hollywood leading man status, but The Way Back proves that given the right circumstances, script and director, hes a damn fine performer.