MPAA Rating: R/Genre: Crime Drama/Stars: Tom Hanks, Tyler Hoechlin, Paul Newman, Jude Law, Daniel Craig, Stanley Tucci, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Liam Aiken, Dylan Baker, Ciarán Hinds, Doug Spinuzza, David Darlow, Kerry Rossall, Anthony LaPaglia, Kevin Chamberlin, Harry Groener, JoBe Cerny/Runtime: 117 minutes
If there is one thing that can either be a recipe for success, a colossal fiasco, or even something that exists comfortably in the middle it would have to be when an actor known for a particular kind of role decides to step out of that particular pigeon-hole and do something different. For example in 2012 Hugh Grant, known at the time for his work in romantic comedies more than anything, received a chance to play several truly despicable characters in Cloud Atlas he took it and, as a result, found his career being given a 2nd chapter where he has gone on to play quite a few antagonistical individuals to really solid effect. Along with that, there is also the example that comes to mind of how, in 2004, Tom Cruise was given the chance to actually be the antagonist in a film for once via his role in the movie Collateral and honestly he managed to give one heck of a chilling turn that is often seen as one of his more underrated efforts. The same could also be applied to Henry Fonda who, despite being viewed by many as a pillar of cinematic decency, managed to throw that preconceived notion for a complete and utter tailspin when he gave an excellent performance as the villain in 1968’s Once Upon a Time in the West. Unfortunately, for as good as that trio of examples is however, there are ones that didn’t quite work nearly as well. Indeed perhaps the best one that comes to mind is when Macaulay Culkin, known for playing the bratty yet ultimately good at heart Kevin McAllister, decided to go from being merely bratty to a full-blown psychopath in 1993’s The Good Son. A film that is not bad, but certainly not one I would go out of my way to watch again anytime soon. The reason I bring these examples up to you incidentally dear reader is because the legendary actor Tom Hanks, or America’s Dad as he is also known, has also had a few roles that definitely were by no means his typical lovable good guy roles a’la Woody in Toy Story. Perhaps the one that doesn’t get as much attention as it ought to however would have to be the performance he gives in a 2002 slice of cinema, and film I happen to be reviewing for you today incidentally, known as Road to Perdition. A film where Hanks plays, of all things, an ice-cold enforcer for the mob. Yet, rather than being in the category that the last example is in, I am proud to say that this slice of cinema and performance is definitely a proud part of the first category instead. To be sure, it’s not a perfect stretch of road by any means, but with the aid of truly powerful work on both sides of the camera Road to Perdition is a gripping and genuinely emotional crime saga that I promise will leave you riveted in your seat right up until the end credits begin to roll…
The plot is as follows: An adaptation of the first volume of a graphic novel series of the same name by Max Allan Collins and Richard Piers Rayner respectively, Road to Perdition takes us back in time to Illinois in 1931 during the Great Depression. It is here where we meet our main character in the form of a man by the name of Michael Sullivan. A stoic and distant man who, among other attributes worth knowing about him, is a good husband to his wife Annie and decent father to 2 boys named Peter and Michael Jr. respectively. Oh and he also works for an older gentleman named John Rooney who, when our hero was just a boy, had taken him in and raised him as his own. It is that last fact about him incidentally that is very important to our story dear reader. This is because Mr. Rooney, we soon learn, is actually a highly regarded mob boss and our hero works for him as a highly skilled and ruthless enforcer. As our story gets underway, we see that our hero (if you even want to call him that now) and his family are present at the wake for the brother of one of Mr. Rooney’s associates named Finn McGovern who proceeds to, in very subtle yet not very flattering terms, imply that Rooney is why his brother is now no longer amongst the living. Naturally, this doesn’t entirely sit well with the old man which is why he decides to send our hero and his own son, a rather impetuous and bullheaded sort by the name of Connor, to go and talk with him. Of course, if you’re the kind of person who thinks that this all sounds too easy, then congratulations are in order for you because you would be quite right. You see not only does Connor create a scene that our hero has to settle in a rather brutal manner, but even worse is the fact that Michael Jr. saw the whole thing. Despite our hero swearing him to secrecy however, and Rooney seemingly being satisfied that Michael Jr. will be silent about what he saw, we see that Connor (big surprise coming up here) is not as placated. As a result, we see that following a seemingly typical errand going unexpectedly awry, our hero comes home to a rather gruesome sight. That being that wife Annie and youngest son Peter have been the horrific victims of a truly vicious homicide with only Mike Jr. not being caught in the crossfire due to being stuck in detention. As a result, a rather distinct journey has now begun for both our hero and his son. One that, by the time it’s over, will see them not only try to outrun a contract killer hot on their tail, but also cause our hero struggle to both keep his son safe whilst also get revenge on those who took so much from them. As for if he is successful in those endeavors that is something I will let you discover for yourself….
Now right off, it should be noted that the work done by the various departments behind the camera on this distinct cinematic journey might not be flawless by any stretch of the imagination, but they nevertheless manage to still be extremely solid all the same. Without a doubt in my mind, this starts with the work done by Sam Mendes in the director’s chair (1999’s American Beauty, 2008’s Revolutionary Road, and 2012’s Skyfall among others) and this is most assuredly another solid entry on an undeniably remarkable creative resume. Indeed when it comes to Mendes’ work as a director on this cinematic outing, there are several things that he does which really distinguish his work here. For starters, we see that when it comes to the violence in the film Mendes does a brilliant job of either having it mostly occur off-camera or having the focus during those moments be more on those who are committing and/or witnessing the acts in question. By doing so, we see that the film is doing a fantastic job of ensuring that each of these moments is given the impact that they properly deserve much like the ones in 1989’s The Untouchables for example. Besides that, we also see that Mendes also does a wonderful job in conjuring up for as movie goers an equally grim and melancholic atmosphere whilst also providing the film with an unhurried tempo that matches the atmosphere brilliantly. A choice that not only synchs up with the thematic concepts of vengeance and redemption that the film is working with incredibly well, but which also permits the film to provide more dimensions to each of the characters at the heart of the story to say nothing of provide more of a detailed analysis into the ramifications of the choices they make throughout the film’s runtime as well. Alongside the highly skilled work done by Mendes at the helm, this film also contains one heck of a screenplay from David Self (2000’s Thirteen Days). Indeed as penned by Self, this film’s screenplay does a truly remarkable job at not only maintaining the core pieces of the source material, but also at giving audiences an emotional and solemn story that deals with such thought-provoking concepts as the fallout of violent actions and the bond between a father and son in a manner that is potent, riveting, heartbreaking, and yet refreshingly honest as well. Besides the work done by Mendes and Self, this film also contains absolutely jaw-droppingly beautiful work from the late Conrad L. Hall in the cinematography department (1976’s Marathon Man, 1988’s Tequila Sunrise, and 1998’s A Civil Action to name a few). Indeed, in Hall’s more than capable hands not only does what we are seeing unfurl on the screen before us feel both genuine and comprehensible to us as movie goers, but he also contributes a necessary and consistent vibe of ominous unease that reinforces the story being told incredibly well. Lastly, this section would be woefully incomplete if I didn’t take some time in this section to focus on the work done by the immensely talented Thomas Newman (1991’s Fried Green Tomatoes, 1999’s The Green Mile, 2011’s The Iron Lady among others) in regards to this slice of cinema’s musical accompaniment. Indeed not only does Newman’s score fit the overall atmosphere on display beautifully, but it also manages to contribute a welcome degree of nuance and gravitas in its own right as well. Suffice it to say that when you factor wonderful work from the editing and costume departments among others it’s clear that this really truly is an exquisitely made slice of cinema and the work done behind the camera is most assuredly a big reason for why that is the case.
Alongside the incredibly well-done work by the various departments behind the camera, this distinct cinematic outing is also aided immensely by a collection of equally as wonderful performances in front of the camera by a game and undeniably talented cast of players. Without a doubt in my mind, this starts with the aforementioned lead performance given by Tom Hanks and he is absolutely magnificent here. Indeed as Michael Sullivan, we see Hanks give us a look at a guy who is consistently struggling between his rather brutal nature with trying to be the best husband/father he can be and only through this journey he goes on with his son does he find a chance to both show his son how much he genuinely cares about, but also to maybe atone in some small way for all the terrible things he has done in life. Suffice it to say it’s a powerful turn from one of the finest talents of his (or any for that matter) generation. Along with Hanks, this slice of cinema also features one heck of a debut performance from Tyler Hoechlin (Derek Hale from some TV show called Teen Wolf). Indeed as Michael Jr., we see that Hoechlin does a wonderful job at giving us a young man who has been purposely insulated from the world his father is a part of to say nothing of never quite being able to get a fix so to speak on the kind of man his father is. Yet, when this tragedy rears its ugly head in their lives, we see that Hoechlin is also able to contribute a wonderful degree of emotional maturity and insightfulness as Michael Jr. really begins to acquire a more immersive comprehension of who his father is as a person as well as just how bleak and grim the world that he occupies really is. Indeed it’s an incredibly potent performance and one that arguably deserved at the very least a Supporting Actor Oscar nod. Alongside Hanks and Hoechlin, this slice of cinema also gives movie goers a terrific (in terms of live-action roles at any rate) swan song for screen legend Paul Newman. Indeed as John Rooney, we see that Newman does a heartbreakingly beautiful job at giving us a honorably evil man who, through this tragedy, finds himself torn between protecting the biological son who’s always been a thorn in his side or standing by and letting the surrogate son who he’s always loved more than life itself have his murderous revenge. Indeed there is no denying the impact that Newman had on cinema as an artform and this is, without question, one heck of a performance to go out on. Lastly, I definitely think this section would be amiss if I didn’t take the time to praise the work done here by Jude Law as the chilling contract killer Harlen Maguire. Indeed, as Maguire, we see that Law does an astonishingly good job at playing this unapologetically sinister and creepily cold-blooded individual that, from the moment that he first shows up in the movie, brings such an intensity and tension to the story that you are consistently left on the edge of your seat whenever he makes his presence known especially in an exchange with Hanks in a diner that is sure to leave you chilled to the bone. Suffice it to say that when you also incorporate into this distinct mix top-tier efforts from such screen talents as Daniel Craig, Jennifer Jason Leigh, the always enjoyable Stanley Tucci, Liam Aiken, Dylan Baker, Ciarán Hinds, and Anthony LaPaglia among others it’s clear that this slice of cinema might have a few miniscule issues scattered about, but the work done by this cast most assuredly does everything it can to help make up for them and then some.
All in all and at the end of the day is Road to Perdition “02” a perfect and flawless cinematic outing by any stretch of the imagination? Sadly no though most assuredly not for lack of effort on the part of either the insanely talented individuals involved in the making of it. With that being said however, is this the worst slice of cinema on any of the creative talents involved’s individual resumes? Oh no. Trust me when I say that there are most assuredly entries that I would definitely with zero hesitation whatsoever classify as worse than this. To be sure, and in the name of complete fairness, this movie is one that definitely will not be every single movie goer out there’s distinct cinematic brew of choice. A claim I base not only on the fact that this film is one that is very slow-moving to say nothing of the fact that there’s not a lot of action beats present as well as the fact that the majority of the moments where violence rears its ugly head in the lives of the cast of characters in this are done either off-screen or purposely as quickly as possible. With that in mind however, there is also no denying that the vast majority of the work being done behind the camera is absolutely majestic and the performances in front of the camera (with particular regard to the ones given by Hanks, Hoechlin, Newman, and Law respectively) are all truly impeccable as everyone involved manages to bring their individual A-game to the character that they are portraying here regardless of how much or how little in terms of screentime that they are ultimately given in the grand scheme of things. Suffice it to say then dear reader that if you are looking for an engaging, fast-paced, and yet undeniably entertaining (with more than its fair share of gun battles to boot) crime saga then definitely check out the John Wick franchise. On the other hand, if you want one that is undeniably just as entertaining yet is also a bit more methodical and purposeful especially in what it’s trying to say about concepts like the bond between a father and son to say nothing of the fallout a lifetime of violent actions can have on a person’s psyche and soul then definitely check this out. Suffice it to say that it might have a few miniscule issues here and there, but overall Road to Perdition “02” is one hard-hitting and extremely potent cinematic crime saga that I can promise you that you do not want to miss. Make of that what thou will dear reader. On a scale of 1-5 I give Road to Perdition “02” a solid 4 out of 5.
