 perdition
(pehr-DISH-en) noun. The utter loss of the soul; eternal damnation;
hell.
With a definition like that, it's easy to get the impression that
Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes' follow-up to 1999's American
Beauty would be a harrowing moviegoing experience. In fact,
it's quite the opposite. Boasting lavish production values, glorious
cinematography, genuine suspense and a great cast toplined by a
never better Tom Hanks, the spectacular Road to Perdition
proves that even a hellacious destination can have some beautiful
scenery along the way.
Michael Sullivan (Tom Hanks) is a dedicated husband, a father of
two...and a loyal hitman for John Rooney (Paul Newman), one of the
most powerful crime bosses in 1930's Chicago. Sullivan and Rooney
share an almost paternal relationship, which makes Rooney's real
son and heir apparent Connor (Daniel Craig) extremely jealous. When
Connor betrays Sullivan by killing his wife (Jennifer Jason Leigh)
and youngest son (Peter Aiken), Sullivan goes into hiding with plans
to avenge their death. Since he needs the help of his oldest son
Michael Jr. (Tyler Hoechlin) in order to do it, he has to look deep
within his soul to determine how far he's willing to go before justice
is finally served.
Adapted from the 1998 graphic novel of the same name, Road to
Perdition is filled with many of the same family-laden themes
that made The Godfather such a classic of the gangster genre.
Sam Mendes makes it his own with an atmospheric, mesmerizing and
intense nail-biter that gives new meaning to the words "poetic justice,"
and with the help of his American Beauty Director of Photography
Conrad L. Hall, he gives each scene the deep, lush and detailed
look of a meticulously crafted painting.
After winning back-to-back Oscars for Philadelphia and Forrest
Gump, it's getting to the point where Tom Hanks can do no wrong.
In Road to Perdition, he continues his streak with a focused,
understated performance that's easily his strongest since...well,
since his last movie (Cast Away).
He may seem to be playing against type, but beneath the surface,
he is still faced with the same kind of internal conflict that has
always brought out the best in him. You can feel his moral struggle
as he sets out to kill the son of his paternal boss while finally
embracing his own son after a lifetime of shutting him out for his
own protection.
At 77, screen legend Paul Newman proves that he is still at the
top of his game. Recalling Marlon Brando's Don Corleone from The
Godfather, Newman is filled with so much respect and dignity,
it's hard to remember that he is playing a powerfully corrupt man
who can kill people with a snap of his fingers. At the other end
of the spectrum, Jude Law follows his scene stealing performance
in last year's underrated A.I. Artificial Intelligence
with another strong turn as a deplorable, deranged and dentally-challenged
crime photographer who would literally kill for a good picture.
As for the rest of the supporting cast, newcomer Tyler Hoechlin
more than holds his own as Hanks' oldest son who sees his father
as a veritable Lone Ranger, while Jennifer Jason Leigh does her
best with her short-but-sweet role as Hanks' doomed wife. As Newman's
loose cannon of a son, Daniel Craig gives an effectively evil performance
that recalls a toned down version of Joaquin Phoenix's similar turn
in Gladiator.
Where American Beauty dealt with a family man who was out
to save his soul, Road to Perdition deals with a family man
whose soul is clearly beyond saving. He still has a chance to save
his son, which just goes to prove that while the apple may not fall
far from the tree, sometimes the tree can push the apple a little
further away so it can have a field of its own.
At a time when movie theaters are filled to bursting with super
heroes and Jedi Knights, the chance to see such a poetic, haunting
and ultimately moving character study is an offer you can't refuse.
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