I think I'm suffering from a case of bloggers block - watched this awesome movie today (I have seen it before when it was first released, and am rewatching it now for the purposes of this blog), and I enjoyed it again, giving it a 4 star rating. But we soldier forth, much like our protagonist in this movie.
The Mob life is a hard life, there are prices to pay when one decides to enter into a life of crime, no matter how good a person you are intrinsically, if you live in the woods you risk getting bit by the wolf.
The Mob and the world of organized crime rear their ugly head again in a coming of age tale set in Illinois during The Great Depression. Narrated by his son, the story centers around Michael Sullivan (Tom Hanks), a respected and trusted soldier of Irish Mob Boss John Rooney (portrayed by legendary actor Paul Newman), whose world is ripped apart when his son witnesses him performing the bloodiest of his duties while out on the job with the reckless son of the boss, Connor Rooney (Daniel Craig). Soon Michael and his progeny are forced on the road and on the run to Perdition, with an assassin by the name of Harlen Maguire (Jude Law) hot on their heels.
Don't want to give away too much, hate when that happens...
Yet again the graphic novel and the world of comic literature transcends the limited expectations of those that know no better, and delivers a story which is rich not only in linear story telling, but thematically and poignantly thought provoking.
As a father, the story resonates strongly, as a criminals parental instinct takes charge over his obediently stringent soldiers life he has been living. The father-son theme is spattered throughout the film, Michael Sullivan is the son Mob Boss John Rooney never had, he is a father and has a son, but Connor Rooney is a son John finds wanting. Through the film Michael Sullivan fights to free his son and and redeem himself from a life of violence which has shaped and formed the man who walks in his shoes, and as his son is forced to grow ahead of his time, under the worst of circumstances, the one thing they have is each other, and Michael is the truest and most natural of life's teachers.
The crime world is a dark world, and it is brilliantly shot and brought to life, The Great Depression permeating every frame. The film itself is dark and moody, and as the audience we hope that there is a light at the end of the proverbial tunnel as we are steered by the direction of Sam Mendes (Skyfall, American Beauty), and the Oscar winning cinematography work of Conrad L. Hall (yes, we have a bona fide, Oscar winning, comic book movie, panels on page brought to screen).
Paul Newman would receive an Oscar nomination for his work in the film, and this makes Road to Perdition required viewing for this blog, but Paul Newman is amongst good stock, as all players in the piece deliver to their potential and present a first class product for audience consumption. Jude Law is brilliant in the movie as the slightly touched and psycho assassin, Tom Hanks expectantly as good as his consistency has proven, and Daniel Craig (a young Daniel Craig at that) particularly loathsome.
All in all, Road to Perdition consistently delivers, the movie does have a slow pace if I need to be brutally honest about it, but boy is the ride worth it - Yay for comic movies!
Road to Perdition is the 4th movie I have watched and posted about from the 75th Academy Awards, and the 76th Academy Award Nominated movie watched for the purposes of this blog.
nuff said...
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