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All Movie Info
Starring:
Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, Jude Law, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Stanley Tucci, Daniel Craig, Liam Aiken, Ciaran Hinds, Dylan Baker, Mina Badie, David Darlow, Tyler Hoechlin, David Darlow
Directed By:
Sam Mendes
Written By:
David Self
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Road to Perdition (2002)
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Movie Review by Jarrod 
June 2nd, 2008
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'Road to Perdition' was Sam Mendes's sophomore directorial effort, after he won worldwide acclaim (and an Oscar) for American Beauty. Based on a graphic novel by Max Allan Collins and Richard Piers Rayner, the movie stars Tom Hanks as Michael Sullivan, a hitman who works for crime lord John Rooney (Paul Newman). John raised Michael, and trusts him and probably even loves him more than he does his own son, Connor (Daniel Craig), a corrupt psychopath pilfering money from his father's business operations. Connor and Michael go on a mission together, to confront one of John's longtime associates, Finn McGovern (Ciaran Hinds). It goes badly. Michael Jr. (Tyler Hoechlin) sees what happens. Curious about his dad's job, he hid himself in the car and secretly tagged along. Not much is made of it initially, but Connor is worried that little Michael will rat him out, and he attempts to eliminate him. Only he ends up killing his mother Annie (Jennifer Jason Leigh) and younger brother Peter (Liam Aiken) instead. So, both Michaels hit the road, the elder Sullivan seeks vengeance, but Connor is protected by the Chicago mob (run by Al Capone) and also by John, who, despite his anger at and resentment of Connor, cannot bear to let him be murdered. Meanwhile, the Sullivans are pursued by the ice-cold Maguire (Jude Law), a photographer/assassin.
The film is set during the Depression, circa 1931, and looks authentic, thanks primarily to the extraordinary cinematography by the late Conrad Hall, who died 11 weeks before he was to win his third career Oscar (his second one came for American Beauty, his first was for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid). Here, he conjures up the style of his work in the 1967 classic In Cold Blood. Rain has rarely been used so effectively, or been rendered so beautifully, or has contributed so magnificently to the atmosphere and setting. Impressive scenery abounds elsewhere, too, shots of the open countryside, the rolling waves at the beach, snowy terrain, and city streets populated with proper period vehicles. And Mendes has assembled a superlative cast. Hanks is mesmerizing, in one of his finest performances. Michael is a professional killer, but lives with remorse and regret, hopes that his children do not follow in his footsteps. He does what he does out of loyalty to John, and later, out of a desire to protect Michael Jr. Newman is superb as John, a gangster with a code of honor, old and wise; haunted by the realization that Michael must die, but dedicated to meting out this brand of justice without compromise. The rules cannot be changed, no exceptions can be made. Sullivan mistakenly believes he can negotiate with Rooney, something which nets him a rectifying lecture from Rooney, who explains what Sullivan should already know. Law is menacing as the ruthless Maguire. Perhaps most remarkable of all is Tyler Hoechlin, making his acting debut, and a stellar one at that.
Michael Jr. will bond with his father during their journey, begin to understand and respect him, and Michael Sr. will likewise come to appreciate his son's company, open up to him in a way he hasn't before. These scenes are among the best in the movie, along with those that involve confrontations between Hanks and Newman, in which glances and facial expressions tend to say more than actual words. There is a slight religious subtext to all of this; the characters have predetermined fates and all know they are damned, that their souls are tarnished by the sins they have committed, by the blood of their victims, that they can never find redemption, but there is hope that Michael Jr. will remain pure and innocent, that he may see heaven, and be like his father. And he seems committed to making sure that it is the case.
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 | Tim
Jun 2, 2008 1:38 AM
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| In my opinion this film is deeply underrated.....everytime I watch this film I am reminded of how much I like it. I think the scene with Hanks and Newman just before Hanks kills him is one of the great scenes of modern film history. |
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