 Tagline: Pray for Michael Sullivan Two-time Academy Award®-winner Tom Hanks stars as Michael Sullivan, a father fighting to keep his only son from traveling the Road To Perdition. Directed by Oscar®-winner Sam Mendes, this towering motion picture achievement has been acclaimed by audiences and critics alike as one of the year's most extraordinary films. Also starring Academy Award winner Paul Newman and Oscar nominee Jude Law, Road To Perdition weaves a mesmerizing tale of a father and son bound together by tragedy and betrayal. On an unforgettable journey of honor, vengeance and redemption, they confront overwhelming odds-and forge an indestructible bond. Hailed for the powerhouse performances of its stars and the stunning impact of its story, Road To Perdition is an electrifying experience that will stay with you for a lifetime. Storyline: 1931. Mike Sullivan and Connor Rooney are two henchmen of elderly Chicago-based Irish-American mobster John Rooney, Connor's father. In many respects, John treats Mike more as his son, who he raised as his own after Mike was orphaned, than the volatile Connor, who nonetheless sees himself as the heir apparent to the family business. One evening, Mike's eldest son, twelve year old Michael Sullivan Jr., who has no idea what his father does for a living, witnesses Connor and his father gun down an associate and his men, the situation gone wrong initiated from an action by Connor. Caught witnessing the incident, Michael is sworn to secrecy about what he saw. Regardless, Connor, not wanting any loose ends, makes an attempt to kill Mike, his wife and their two sons. Mike and the surviving members of his family know that they need to go on the run as Connor, who has gone into hiding, will be protected through mob loyalty, especially by John, who cannot turn on his own flesh and blood. Still,... Written by Huggo Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Martin Liebman, July 30, 2010 -- Is one more body going to make a difference? Road to Perdition is an innately gorgeous exhibit of art moving at 24 frames per second. The film, as directed by Sam Mendes (Jarhead) and photographed by Conrad Hall (American Beauty), is as visually captivating as it is thematically enthralling, a potent combination to be sure, the result a picture that's easily one of the finest ever released in terms of offering a complete package of sight, sound, soulful emotion, and stirring storytelling. It's a film that's both stylish and stylistically significant, a film that uses its dark visuals as the ultimate metaphoric reinforcement of its story and themes on the bonds of love and the pains of unending violence. Road to Perdition -- an aptly-titled film if there ever was one -- sees its characters travel down a darkened road of violence begetting violence begetting suffering, culminating in the ultimate test of the devil's desire to see a world of pain extend beyond its boundaries and gain inroads with the innocent, those who still have a choice in their journey towards great pain or gentle peace. It's the winter of 1931. It is the time of Al Capone, of great violence, a slumping economy, and prohibition. It's also the backdrop for a six-week journey of violence and self-discovery for 12-year-old Michael Sullivan, Jr. (Tyler Hoechlin). His father, Michael Sr. (Tom Hanks, Saving Private Ryan), is a tough-as-nails but highly intelligent enforcer working for local crime boss John Rooney (Paul Newman, Cool Hand Luke). When one of the syndicate's own, Finn McGovern (Ciarán Hinds), loses his brother, he drunkenly speaks out against Mr. Rooney at the wake. Michael Sr. defuses the situation, but it's one situation that cannot go ignored. Michael and Mr. Rooney's son, Connor (Daniel Craig, Defiance), pay Finn a visit, but it ends badly; Finn and two of his goons are killed, the violence provoked by Connor's itchy trigger finger. Unfortunately, Michael Jr. -- unbeknownst to either his father or to Connor -- tags along, hiding in a trunk underneath the back seat of the car. He's witness to the shootings that prove not only an indelible memory but an event that will lead both Michael Jr. and his father on a journey of violence and despair that seems to know no end. Visually, several aspects of Road to Perdition recall The Godfather; Cinematographer Conrad Hall's bleak palette and sometimes slightly soft focus recall Gordon Willis' masterpiece of shadow, and it's no surprise that both films share in common themes of familial bonds and the repercussions of violence. Road to Perdition isn't the epic tale that is The Godfather, but Sam Mendes' picture certainly plays with many of the same kinds of emotional resonances as Francis Ford Coppola's all-time classic. Stylistically, Road to Perdition seems the modern-day equivalent; a viewing evokes not only satisfaction with the story but wonderment at the skill of the filmmakers to craft a picture that's as strikingly artful as this. Road to Perdition is awash in noir imagery and metaphorical environments that both add visual weight to the picture's complex themes. What's amazing about Road to Perdition is that Mendes and Hall capture these elements with not only an unmatched grace but also in such a way that the symbolism inherent to the picture's visual scheme is unmistakable but never patently obvious to the point that it becomes detrimental to the film. Road to Perdition is film-as-art accomplished at a level rarely achieved in mainstream cinema, and its breathtaking style plays wonderfully with its additional elements that elevate it to the level of modern-day classic. At the center of Road to Perdition is a story of unspeakable pain and tragedy and the resultant choices that lay a foundation for the future of several characters as they enter into a world of despair brought by their own actions, actions, however, that are defined and framed differently for each individual. Road to Perdition is a film of contrasts, of degrees, of perspectives, all of which come to define the picture's central conflict. Through the prism of violence the audience will find characters that act on love, greed, loyalty, and self-satisfaction; they converge with different outlooks and purposes behind their actions but ultimately find in their lives the same brutal outcome. The film speaks, then, on the ending circle of violence and its devastating results that care not for the hows and the whys but only for the bloodshed that's left behind. Through all of its dark elements and violence, Road to Perdition finds balance with some gently-introduced humor midway through the film, just when it needs it the most. Like everything else about the movie, it's worked into the story with a grace that lightens the load while advancing the story and further developing the characters, serving as another example of how Mendes manages to always keep his film going with a visual, thematic, and emotional rhythm that's as striking as any of the many singular achievements the film enjoys. Mendes' film is also home to a strong assortment of talent -- including Hollywood legend Paul Newman's final on-screen appearance before his death in 2008 and a pre-James Bond Daniel Craig -- that only reinforce the picture's many strengths, but it's nevertheless the filmmakers' who shine brightest through Road to Perdition's unflinchingly bleak but purposeful and resonant façade. Every year, there are always a few select films snubbed from contention in the race for Oscar's best picture. Every decade, there are one or two films that stand out amongst those as the best of the unjustly left behind. One such picture is Director Edward Zwick's Glory, and another is Sam Mendes' Road to Perdition. Though not completely overlooked during awards season -- Conrad Hall won a much-deserved posthumous Oscar for his exemplary cinematography and the film received several additional nominations -- the absence of a Best Picture nomination, as with Glory, seems one of the great injustices in the long history of the awards. Nevertheless, those missing notches from its belt in no way detract from what a remarkable piece of filmmaking this is. Road to Perdition is easily one of the most beautiful pictures ever made. It's got a great cast and an even better story as complimentary pieces, but there's no doubt that it's in Mendes' and Hall's brilliant craftsmanship where Road to Perdition will find its legacy as one of cinema's finest works of art. Paramount's Blu-ray release of Road to Perdition is almost as good as the movie. The picture quality is impeccably faithful to the source, and the disc also features a pitch-perfect lossless soundtrack and a wonderful assortment of extras. Road to Perdition earns my highest recommendation. (Based on Comic Book) -- (DC Imprints) Cast Notes: Tom Hanks (Michael Sullivan), Tyler Hoechlin (Michael Sullivan Jr.), Rob Maxey (Drugstore Owner), Paul Newman (John Rooney), Liam Aiken (Peter Sullivan), Jude Law (Harlen Maguire), Jennifer Jason Leigh (Annie Sullivan), Daniel Craig (Connor Rooney), Ciarán Hinds (Finn McGovern), Craig Spidle (Rooney's Henchman), Ian Barford (Rooney's Henchman), Stephen P. Dunn (Finn McGovern's Henchman [as Stephen Dunn]), Paul Turner (Finn McGovern's Henchman), Kathleen Keane (Irish Musician), Brendan McKinney (Irish Musician). IMDb Rating (11/30/10): 7.8/10 from 85,299 users
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