Review: Road to Perdition (2002)
JoBlo
RATING: 6/10
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PLOT:
An Irish mobster, with a deep love for his family, is troubled after his son
sees him whacking out some bad guys. The father explains the situation to the
boy and asks him to keep it quiet, but the enforcer's boss isn't necessarily
convinced of this fact, and decides to take matters into his own hands. Mobster
and son hit the road soon thereafter, and gangster stuff...ensues.
CRITIQUE:
Emotional detachment. As I watched this beautiful picture unfold before my very
eyes, as I smelled the smoke from its cigarettes and felt the rain from its sky
hit my face, I realized that there was one thing that this film wasn't doing to
me and that was involving me on any emotional level. A gorgeous looking movie on
all fronts with superb sets, authentically recreated ambiance from the days of
old, costumes as you would expect from Oscar winning filmmakers and
cinematography that will surely be on the nominations lists of all the year-end
award tallies (one particularly memorable scene features a dark, rainy shoot-out
in the street with only flashes of a Tommy gun being shown on one end, bodies
toppling over on the other and music strumming over it all. Classic) The
lighting, the shadows, the moisture, the angles, the smoke, the smaller details
that bring scenes to life...everything was here for the picking and it was all
picked quite well and obviously in season (ugh, that's me trying to get
poetic...I think). And speaking of poetry, this film also brings with it a very
"artsy" feel. It's not a "summer movie" by any stretch of the imagination (this
is a fall release, if I ever saw one), it moves slowly, it has very little
action and now that I think about it...very little dialogue as well. Much of
what happens is communicated via looks, gestures, moods set and choice words
here and there. No unforgettable dialogue, but a decent story presented via a
handful of well-defined characters. Symbolic elements and religious undertones
aside, the film is basically the tale of a man's struggle to preserve the purity
of his family, while wrestling against his personal "duties" at the same time.
The actors are all quite good, especially Newman who despite the small role,
does a lot with it as the sturdy ol' gangster stuck in his old ways. His son in
the film, Daniel Craig, also brings a lot of intensity to his part and a portly
looking Hanks delivers the goods while remaining straight-faced throughout (it's
all about the inner-struggle), but certainly shouldn't wait for Oscar to come
calling this year (is he acting with his mustache? You decide!) I also have no
idea what would possess Jennifer Jason Leigh, a superb actress in her own right,
to take such a vapid, two-line role. Very odd. Jude Law, on the other hand, is
gorgeous, as usual. Unfortunately (and you had to see this coming), there wasn't
much in the story which actually pulled me into the characters, there weren't
any surprises and there certainly wasn't any revelatory resolution that made the
two hours which came before it seem as worthwhile as I had hoped. In fact, there
were a number of scenes which just seemed "too easy" for the characters, in
which one of them would find another one at the drop of a dime, or another would
be able to walk into a church and sit right behind a man who had the entire city
looking for him, without anybody noticing?? And when all was said and done, I
basically turned to my movie-mate and said, "Is that it? I was expecting
something a little more powerful." The look of the film is there, definitely one
of the better looking movies of the year, the story is technically sound and the
characters well-established, with solid performances, but the emotional
attachment and suspense is lacking, most of the twists in the script are
telegraphed, I was hoping to pull back a gulp or two but it was not to be and
some of the resolutions are just too convenient to resonate very deeply. All
things considered, I'll take MILLER'S CROSSING or L.A. CONFIDENTIAL over this
flick any day.
Where's JoBlo coming from?
American Beauty (8/10) - Analyze This (8/10) - Cast Away (8/10) - From Hell
(8/10) - The Godfather (10/10) - Goodfellas (10/10) - L.A. Confidential (9/10) -
Life as a House (8/10) - Miller's Crossing (8/10) - Training Day (7/10)
Review Date: July 3, 2002
Director: Sam Mendes
Writer: David Self
Producer: Sam Mendes, Richard and Dean Zanuck
Actors: Tom Hanks as Michael Sullivan
Paul Newman as John Rooney
Tyler Hoechlin as Michael Sullivan Jr.
Genre: Crime
Year of Release: 2002
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(c) 2002 Berge Garabedian
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Susan Granger
Tom Hanks takes a risky turn playing Michael Sullivan, a husband, father and
ruthless mob hit-man, in this original, deceptively simple, yet unpredictable,
1931 Depression-era tale. Based on Max Allan Collins & Richard Piers Rayner's
graphic novel, it's a violent story of betrayal, revenge and self-discovery.
When Sullivan's wife (Jennifer Jason Leigh) and younger son (Liam Aiken) are
killed, he vows vengeance while protecting his sole surviving son (Tyler
Hoechlin), who has seen too much and knows too much. There's a conflicted
relationship with his adoptive father, a patriarchal Irish-American gangster
(Paul Newman) whose sleazy son (Daniel Craig) has always been jealous of
Sullivan. So he seeks the support of Al Capone through his Chicago-based
enforcer, Frank Nitti (Stanley Tucci), who sends a maniacal assassin/
photographer (Jude Law) after him. It's too early to start talking Oscar but the
indelible performances of Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, Jude Law and newcomer Tyler
Hoechlin must rank as among of the best of the year. Hanks seems cold,
calculating and inscrutable until you realize that emotional distance is his
only defense against despair, while the tragedy of Newman's conflict of loyalty
becomes etched on his face. Director Sam Mendes ("American Beauty") and
screenwriter David Self fearlessly delve into the many agonizing, unspoken,
often ironic permutations of father-son relationships. Conrad L. Hall's visually
poetic cinematography is darkly shadowed yet unflinching, and drenched with
rain, while Dennis Gassner's production design meticulously evokes the bitterly
cold, bleak period. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, "Road to Perdition"
is a poignant, mythic, powerful 10. It's a brutal Irish "Godfather" epic that
definitely ranks as a contender for Best Picture of the Year.
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Joshua Tyler
A film review by Joshua Tyler
Copyright 2002 filmcritic.com
Murder is a cold and senseless act. Those who make it their life must by
necessity be hard and brutal men. Road to Perdition never flinches away from
that, but somehow, in the emotionally empty lives of mafia killers, finds
warmth, depth, and soul.
This second film from American Beauty director Sam Mendes presents a highly
stylized and muddied look into the world of the Irish mob. Michael Sullivan
(Tom Hanks) is at the center of it, as mob boss John Rooney’s (Paul Newman)
personal “Angel of Death.” Raised as Rooney’s son, Sullivan and his family have
been given an idyllic life, marred only by the secrecy of Sullivan’s dastardly
work. But when his oldest son Michael Jr. (Tyler Hoechlin) witnesses dad taking
care of business, their world is shattered, as mob boss Rooney’s overeager son
murders Sullivan’s wife and youngest child in response. Now, Sullivan must put
his loyalty to the test to protect his oldest son Michael and buy a life for
them both.
Road to Perdition is not some parody of the Irish or Italian mafia, populated
with clichéd characters uttering predictably gangsteresque quips about “the
family.” Rather, it's a blurring of the lines between right and wrong, a
beautiful and layered look into the heart of a man who commits murder yet really
does know the difference between good and evil. Hanks’ character is no hero,
though he could have been played as such, had Mendes allowed it. But we’re
never permitted to stop and attempt to rationalize his misdeeds with platitudes
of necessity. Instead, Perdition keeps reminding us that the man whom we would
cast in the role of a saint is cold, ruthless, and without remorse.
It’s Hanks that makes it work. His Sullivan is dark, silent, and immovable.
Hanks' natural likeability could have made bringing that sensibility to life
difficult, but he uses his honest and genuine persona to keep the lines of good
and evil blurred throughout the film. He’s subtle. Every expression has a
meaning, every grimace tells a tale. He’s smart, calculating, and cool.
Sullivan is cold yet never cruel: Honest, loyal, caring, but willing and ready
to kill.
This dark and rainy film wastes nothing on its quest of exploration and
redemption. There is no scene, no role without purpose. Even a random hitman
(in this case played by Jude Law) though he says little and appears only to
bring death, becomes a real living and breathing person complete with
motivation, personality, and depth. Law like no other has an uncanny ability to
completely inhabit his character, even adopting mannerisms, speech patterns, and
movements that might seem inconsequential, but when added together create a
flesh-and-blood individual behind the trigger.
Newman too draws all there is to get out of his character, a dismal and evil man
who somehow seems dashing and grandfatherly in his veteran acting hands.
Winding his way throughout the story much like the film’s haunting score,
Newman’s John Rooney walks a path towards inevitability, unwilling or unable to
stop the wheels his devilish son has already set in motion.
Soaked in rain, snow, and beautifully framed shots of an interminably gray
world, Road to Perdition avoids the simplistic and easy sidetracks taken by so
many other modern films. Mendes stays the course and keeps us questioning the
morality of the man. Using sound, light, and shadow, he develops a story
layered unlike any other, while bullets rip with alternately shocking
explosiveness and utter silence across the screen.
Part coming-of-age story, part tragedy, where Perdition best succeeds is by
reaching in and grabbing straight to the heart of Sullivan and his son. Road to
Perdition soars above all possible expectations to deliver a weighty,
thoughtful, and brazenly creative film anchored by Oscar caliber performances
from everyone involved.
RATING: ***** [HIGHEST RATING]
[* = lowest rating / ***** = highest rating]
MPAA Rating: R
Director: Sam Mendes
Producer: Sam Mendes, Dean Zanuck, Richard D. Zanuck
Writer: David Self
Starring: Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, Tyler Hoechlin, Jude Law, Daniel Craig,
Stanley Tucci, Jennifer Jason Leigh
http://www.roadtoperdition.com/
---
filmcritic.com / http://filmcritic.com/
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Steve Rhodes
A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 2002 Steve Rhodes
RATING (0 TO ****): *** 1/2
"What's papa's job?" Peter Sullivan (Liam Aiken) asks his slightly older
brother, Michael Jr. (Tyler Hoechlin), a serious, 12-year-old bookworm whose
favorite novel is "The Lone Ranger." It's a bit of a mystery in the Sullivan
household just what their father, Mike (Michael Sr.), does for his boss, a
wealthy man named John Rooney, played beautifully by Paul Newman. If their mom
(Jennifer Jason Leigh) knows, she's not telling.
In another Oscar-caliber performance, Tom Hanks plays the father in ROAD TO
PERDITION. A highly nuanced, compelling piece of work, Hank's acting will
remind you of his reserved, resolute and resigned performance as the Captain in
SAVING PRIVATE RYAN. As you may have heard, this time Hanks plays a bad guy,
but, relatively speaking, he's a sort of a saint among sinners, no matter how
many men he kills. The story convinces us that circumstances are at least
partially to blame for his poor career choice.
In order to discover what papa does in his evenings on the job, Michael invents
his own version of take-your-kids-to-work day. He hides in his Dad's big, black
car under his father's "tool kit," a suitcase big enough to carry a violin, or
-- you guessed it -- a Tommy gun. That night proves to hold the seminal event
in Michael's young life. From there the story becomes one of chase and revenge.
As Michael tells us in the opening narration, he spent "six weeks on the road
with him [his father] in the winter of 1931." The story is mainly about those
six weeks.
This closely observed film is the second picture by AMERICAN BEAUTY's Sam
Mendes. Other than their exceptional quality, the two movies couldn't be more
different. Whereas every minute of AMERICAN BEAUTY was jam packed with
sarcastic wit, ROAD TO PERDITION is put together lovingly as if every moment is
to be savored slowly like a fine wine. Mendes is like a great conductor who can
mesmerize his audiences no matter which piece he chooses from his repertoire.
The script by David Self (THIRTEEN DAYS) excels in the dialog ("Natural Law:
Sons are put on this earth to trouble their fathers.") as well as in the
character development.
The casting is outstanding. In addition to those already mentioned, Jude Law
plays a dangerous press photographer who brags, "I shoot the dead." Daniel
Craig plays John Rooney's dangerously hot-headed son. And Stanley Tucci
delivers a refined version of Frank Nitti.
The production is stunning. Albert Wolsky's costumes make maximum use of big
hats and heavy woolen coats. Thomas Newman's melancholy music sets the mood
perfectly. And, most of all, Conrad L. Hall's cinematography turns out to be
the crowning achievement of the entire movie. With rich mahogany colors and
warm use of shadows, the look is astounding. Best of all is a nighttime gun
battle in the rain that becomes an instant classic. Don't waste your time
voting, Academy members. Just award Hall the Oscar now. He can put the
statuette by his other two for BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID and for
AMERICAN BEAUTY.
"There is only one guarantee -- none of us will see heaven," John tells Mike,
speaking probably about their entire profession. And there is only one
guarantee about the movie itself -- while watching it, you'll feel like you've
arrived in cinematic heaven.
ROAD TO PERDITION runs 1:59. It is rated R for "violence and language" and
would be acceptable for teenagers.
My son Jeffrey, age 13, who doesn't normally like serious shows, gave this one
***. He had nothing but praise for it, especially for Hank's acting and for the
story.
The film opens nationwide in the United States on Friday, July 12, 2002. In the
Silicon Valley, it will be showing at the AMC and the Century theaters.
Web: http://www.InternetReviews.com
Email: Steve....@InternetReviews.com
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Bob Bloom
Newman, Jude Law, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Daniel Craig, Tyler Hoechlin,
Stanley Tucci and Liam Aiken. Screenplay by David Self. Based on the
graphic novel written by Max Allan Collins and illustrated by Richard
Piers Rayner. Music by Thomas Newman. Directed by Sam Mendes. Rated R.
Running time: 119 minutes.
Can a man be a cold-blooded killer as well as a loving father and
husband? Can an individual separate who he is from what he does?
Those are some of the issues explored in Road to Perdition, a dark and
brooding drama from American Beauty’s Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes.
The foundation of Road to Perdition rests on the relationships between
fathers and sons. Michael Sullivan (Tom Hanks) is a hit man for the
Irish mob. His boss, John Rooney (Paul Newman) raised Sullivan and
treats him like a son, which irritates Rooney’s son, Connor (Daniel
Craig).
Sullivan’s oldest son, Michael Jr. (Tyler Hoechlin), the movie’s
narrator, feels unloved. His craves the affection of his father, who
appears distant to him.
Michael Jr. and his younger brother, Peter (Liam Aiken), know their
father works for Rooney, but are ignorant of what he does for the
grandfatherly figure. When asked, their mother, Annie (Jennifer Jason
Leigh), responds sharply that their father puts bread on the table,
implying that is all the boys need to know.
One night, Michael Jr. stows away in his father’s car when Sullivan and
Connor run a late-night errand for Rooney to talk to a disgruntled
underling. What happens next causes Sullivan’s work and private life to
collide setting off a deadly chain reaction that sets Sullivan and
Michael Jr. on a road to revenge.
In a summer overrun with movies dominated by CGI aliens and super
heroes, it revigorates the mind to see a feature that concentrates on
people, a project in which the script and characters hold sway.
An air of inevitability and tragedy weighs upon Road to Perdition. Many
events are foreshadowed, but the story is so compelling that the device
cannot compromise their impact.
Exceptional performances dominate the movie. Hanks offers one of the
subtlest interpretations of his career. His stillness and intensity
belie a man who without a flicker of remorse can wield a tommy gun to
snuff out lives, yet who howls like a wounded animal when death invades
his domain.
Newman underplays his Rooney in perfect synch with Hanks. The powerful
Rooney acts like the kindly uncle who sneaks you a dollar or two when he
visits, which makes his ruthlessness even more terrifying. The schism
that makes him choose between the son of his flesh and the son of his
heart is the only sign of weakness he portrays.
Leigh has little screen time and little dialogue as Sullivan’s wife,
yet she has ample opportunity to display that strength that is the rock
on which the family is built.
Young Hoechlin probably has the toughest assignment, playing a lad who
loses his innocence upon witnessing how his father earns his living. It
is a heartbreaking moment viewing the disillusionment and fear on young
Michael’s face after his father confronts him with the truth.
The cast also includes an eccentric performance by Jude Law as Maguire
the hit man hired to eliminate Sullivan. Law brings an air of lightness
to his character whose hobby is photographing dead people or victims at
the moment of death.
Stanley Tucci is smoothly menacing as Frank Nitti, whom both Sullivan
and Rooney turn to for counsel.
Only Craig’s Connor seems out of joint. He is too overt, too outward.
While the other characters keep their agenda and emotions close to the
vest, Conner’s mannerisms and expressions quickly reveal everything
about him.
The screenplay by David Self, based on a graphic novel written by Max
Allan Collins and illustrated by Richard Piers Rayner is taut. Every
frame of this 119-minute film advances the action.
Thomas Newman's score is minimal, but effective. One of the film's
biggest assets is the legendary Conrad L. Hall’s cinematography, with
its muted palates that greatly enhance Mendes’ vision.
Only one historical snafu was bothersome. The film takes place during
the winter of 1931, but Michael Jr. is shown reading a Little Book
adventure story about The Lone Ranger, a character not created until
1933 and which originally aired only on the Detroit radio station where
it originated.
That quibble aside, Road to Perdition ranks among the top movies of
2002. It is sure to garner many end-of-year awards as well as notice
during Oscar voting. It proves that good execution, writing and
performances drive cinema, not computers.
Bob Bloom is the film critic at the Journal and Courier in Lafayette,
IN. He can be reached by e-mail at blo...@yahoo.com or at
bobb...@iquest.net. Other reviews by Bloom can be found at
www.jconline.com by clicking on golafayette.
Bloom's reviews also appear on the Web at the Internet Movie Database:
http://www.imdb.com/M/reviews_by?Bob+Bloom
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Jon Popick
"We Put the SIN in Cinema"
© Copyright 2002 Planet Sick-Boy. All Rights Reserved.
There's something about this summer that makes it seem a lot more like late
autumn. Sure, we've had plenty of brainless popcorn flicks, but there have
also been a surprising number of intelligent films (The Bourne Identity,
Minority Report) released over the last month that seem better suited for a
late-year Oscar campaign than marquee space with movies like Reign of Fire
and Scooby Doo. Another example of this phenomenon - and perhaps the best -
is Road To Perdition, Sam Mendes' spectacular follow-up to the Oscar-winning
American Beauty. It's 2002's best film thus far, and I'm skeptical that
we'll see anything superior to it for the rest of the year.
"Perdition" refers to two things: It's a small town in Kansas to which our
two protagonists are headed, as well as a fancy word meaning eternal
damnation. Michael Sullivan (Tom Hanks, Cast Away) and his 12-year-old son
Michael, Jr. (newcomer Tyler Hoechlin) are on that titular road, but it
remains unclear which definition of Perdition awaits them at the end of
their journey.
The film takes place over six weeks in the winter of 1931. Sullivan is a
hard-working family man, bringing home the bacon for Junior, wife Annie
(Jennifer Jason Leigh, The Anniversary Party) and youngest boy Peter (Liam
Aiken, Sweet November). They're a close, loving family with a big house, a
huge yard and few problems, other than never being able to ask Dad about his
day at work. See, Sullivan is a fearless and unflinching killing machine
for the Rock Island, Illinois arm of the Chicago mob, which is controlled by
the very same John Rooney (Paul Newman, Where the Money Is) who took a
fatherless Sullivan under his wing when he was a boy.
Curious about his father's line of work, Junior hides in the backseat of the
car and accompanies the unwitting Sullivan and Rooney's son Connor (Daniel
Craig, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider) to a late-night warehouse meeting that goes
horribly wrong. Unseen and observing from a crack in the wall, like Kyle
MacLachlan in Blue Velvet, Junior watches his father slaughter a half-dozen
men and then scrambles away in horror. But he's eventually noticed by
Connor, who nearly offs him before Sullivan realizes who he is.
This one innocent incident is the catalyst for Perdition's story. A gunman
is dispatched to kill Annie and the boys, while Sullivan is sent on a
mission from which nobody expects him to return. But he does, and Junior
isn't home when the killer comes a-calling, so the two hit the road, unable
to take time to grieve the loss of their kin. I expected the wheels to fall
off the story here, dreading a touchy-feely story about a father bonding
with his son during unusual circumstances, but Perdition is much more than
that. It focuses more on the revenge than the bonding, which makes the film
very dark, very violent and somewhat heartbreaking.
Perdition is the third slick adaptation of a graphic novel in less than a
year (following Ghost World and From Hell), and it's able to tell much more
of a story than the vast majority of films adapted from more traditional
sources (like that Ya-Ya bullshit, which was based on two full-length
books). We get the one unusual father-son relationship between Sullivan and
Junior, but two others are thrown in for absolutely no additional charge.
The chemistry between Sullivan and Rooney positively crackles, while
Rooney's strained rapport with Connor is a major force in Perdition's
success (imagine a thinner, shrewder Vito Corleone with just one son, who is
an unfortunate hybrid of bumbling Fredo and hotheaded Sonny).
Newman (who got help with his Irish accent from Frank McCourt), Craig and
newcomer Hoechlin all do extremely well in their roles, as does Hanks,
though his part is very subtle (his Sullivan is supposed to be a guy who
nobody notices). Both Jude Law (A.I.), who briefly appears as a jaundiced,
balding freelance press photographer/hitman with baked-bean teeth, and
Stanley Tucci (Big Trouble), who plays Al Capone's right-hand man in
Chicago, perform strongly in very small roles (Capone is never seen, though
he and a big Eliot Ness subplot appear in the graphic novel, which was
adapted for the screen by Thirteen Days' David Self).
Mendes proves that the overwhelming success of his feature-film debut was no
fluke with Perdition, which, like Beauty, was photographed by the great
Conrad L. Hall. There's a scene early in the film depicting a big Irish
funeral, and Hall shoots it so well, you can practically smell the cigar
smoke and whiskey. But he's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to
Perdition's behind-the-camera talent. Thomas Newman's (an Oscar winner for
Beauty) score is nearly perfect, hampered only by its similarity to his
theme for Six Feet Under. Moulin Rouge's Oscar-nominated editor Jill
Bilcock shows she isn't really a crack-addicted ferret, while the team of
production, set, art and costume designers (Dennis Gassner, Nancy Haigh,
Richard L. Johnson and Albert Wolsky) have all logged time on the Coen
brothers' many period films or took home Oscars for their work in Bugsy.
Soup to nuts, Perdition is as beautiful a film as you'll see this year.
1:59 - R for violence and language
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Robin Clifford
Michael Sullivan (Tom Hanks) is a hit man for the Irish mob in Depression-era
Chicago. His son, Michael Jr. (Tyler Hoechlin), wants nothing more than to earn
his father's favor. But Michael Sr. does not want his only remaining child to
take the same road in life that he did. He does not want his boy to take the
"Road to Perdition."
Sophomore helmer wunderkind Sam Mendes made an impressive debut with his
Oscar-winning first effort, "American Beauty." Interest has been high in
anticipation of his next work and the director has selected the graphic novel of
the title as his subject. And, this is why, I think, that "Road to Perdition" is
a very good film but not a great one. The subject matter, while providing a
visually stunning look to the movie, does not propel the story beyond the
routine. Script scribe David Self was given the task of fleshing out the source
material into a feature length film with complex characters. But, it's a
different task to build the characters and dialog beyond the their graphic novel
dimensions than it is to adapt, say, a complex source work like The Godfather.
If you strip away the wealth of acting talent called upon to breathe life into
the characters that populate "Road to Perdition" you'll find that they are more
symbol than real people. Michael Sullivan is a mob hit man and, at the same
time, a loving husband and father who really believes that, at the end of the
day if he puts the tools of his violent trade away in a cupboard, his life will
be normal. This assassin with a heart is, from the start of the film, a tragic
figure whose end is inevitable. Tom Hanks puts a human face on the clichéd
character of Michael and gives the character dimension with a look of the eye or
a facial change. Hanks has minimal dialog but the talented actor makes the most
of it. The same goes for the rest of this incredibly capable cast.
Paul Newman is terrific (who would expect anything less?) as mob boss John
Rooney, the man who practically raised Michael and treats the man more like a
son than an employee. He does, however, distinguish between his loyalty to
Michael and his responsibility to support his real son Connor (Daniel Craig).
Blood, for the senior Rooney, is thicker than water and the father must side
with his own son even when Connor goes beyond the pale and murders innocents.
Newman effortlessly fleshes out his character of the aging mobster. It is a
pleasure to watch a master at work.
The rest of the cast also proves up to the task of bringing life to their
respective characters. Young newcomer Tyler Hoechlin is remarkable as Michael
Jr., a boy who craves the attention of his father. Little Michael has, for a
long time, suspected that his dad's job is dangerous, but isn't quite ready for
the real truth when he sees big Michael ply his trade. It is an auspicious debut
for a budding new talent. Jude Law has some good fun as a combination of
personalities. One half of his Maguire character is like 40's crime photographer
Arthur "Weegee" Felig and has a knack for capturing the grit of murder scenes on
film. The other, hit man half is fully capable of providing all the victims for
his photographs. Law slouches with bad posture and saunters along, duck-toed,
belying his underlying deadliness.
There are a plethora of smaller, well-crafted roles ranging from Stanley Tucci
as gangster Frank Niti who comes across more like a corporate exec rather than
the head of Murders, Inc. Jennifer Jason Leigh, always a pleasure to watch, is,
unfortunately, given little screen time as Michael Sr.'s loving wife Annie.
Dylan Baker puts an amusing spin on his character, Alexander Rance, a fey
accountant for the mob. The talented character actor Ciaran Hinds is limited to
a very small amount of screen time as one of John Rooney's underlings. Daniel
Craig is perfect as Connor Rooney, John's son, the heir apparent to his father's
gangland throne and acts the part of the spoiled scion who believes that he is
above the law, even mob law.
The best thing about "Road to Perdition" is the outstanding suite of technical
values that are an embarrassment of riches. First and foremost, the amazing
photography by 74-year old Conrad L. Hall begs for attention come year's end.
The range of the images the senior lenser captures is simply astounding. One
scene, when young Mike is riding his bicycle down a snow-covered hill is like a
painting being created before your eyes. Virtually every scene in the film is a
masterly creation that is, for me, the number one reason to see "Perdition."
(Oh, sure, Hanks and Newman are OK to watch, too.)
Other techs shine out, like the incredible realism of the costumes (by Albert
Wolsky) that exude the look and feel of the early 30's. Fedoras, overcoats and
wide lapelled suits make you feel like you are there. Production designer Dennis
Gasner went to extreme lengths to place us in the midst of the Depression in
scene after scene - especially one, where Michael leaves his son in a huge
waiting room amidst a sea of newspapers being read by the unemployed masses. It
nearly takes your breath away. The filmmakers must have collected every
available make and model car of the era to help makes us feel like we are
there.
The source material may have been routine, but the acting and production are
craftworks that should not be missed. I was hoping for great but I can certainly
live with very good. The "Road to Perdition" may be a bit bumpy but is worth the
ride. I give it a B+.
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X-Language: en
X-RT-ReviewID: 737402
X-RT-TitleID: 1114614
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X-RT-RatingText: B+