Film Review: Road to Perdition

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by Jason Berger, guest critic

Several film critics are praising Road to Perdition, the new film by American Beauty director Sam Medes, putting it in the same league as The Godfather. This film isn't close to the level of The Godfather, nor does it try to be. What this film does try to be is an old-fashioned 1930s-style gangster film, about the relationship between two fathers and their sons.

Tom Hanks in "Road to Perdition" Photo ©Dreamworks SKG, 20th Century Fox

The film focuses on Michael Sullivan (Tom Hanks), a somber hitman beloved by his employer, midwestern Irish mobster John Rooney (Paul Newman). Sullivan's own son, twelve-year-old Michael Jr. (newcomer Tyler Hoechlin), witnesses his father and Rooney's vicious, hot-headed son carry out an unauthorized hit on a member of the gang. Sullivan promises his patron the boy will keep quiet, but Rooney's son goes gunning for Michael Jr. anyway, killing his younger brother by mistake, and catching Sullivan's wife (Jennifer Jason Leigh) in the hail of bullets. His wife and young son dead, Sullivan takes Michael and flees across the midwest, all the while plotting revenge on Rooney's son.

Through this plot Mr. Mendes and screenwriter David Self (who adapted this story from a graphic novel by Max Allan Collins), tell the story of a growing bond between Michael and Michael Jr. The story is told from the point of view of young Michael, and through him we see the slow transformation of his father from a cold and distant figure of mystery to a full person, with flaws and regrets, painfully aware of the choices he's made in his life. One of the movie's great strengths is the way it depicts everything through the eyes of a child, especially that strange and tragic moment when you realize that your parents may not be the perfect figures you've always imagined them to be.

All of the strengths that Mr. Mendes exhibited as a director his first time out are still present here. He has an incredible visual sense, one that he seems to have been born with. As with American Beauty, this film looks incredibly beautiful but at the same time natural, without any shots calling attention to themselves and thus away from the story. It helps that he's once again joined by legendary cinematographer Conrad Hall. All this is not to say that this film looks at all like American Beauty. Where that movie used the bright colors to make suburbia look just a little too happy and too perfect, this film uses darkness and shadows to set the mood.. Mr. Hanks, for instance, is almost always shown with half his face covered in shadow by his hat brim, and characters are often shown walking through the beautifully lit rain. He also uses blood and violence extremely effectively. There is a lot of violence in the movie, but Mr. Mendes doesn't dwell on it, choosing instead to pick his spots carefully, adding to the impact when he does show the violence.

This is not to say that Mr. Mendes has overcome all the flaws in technique I noticed in American Beauty. He still seems unable to trust the audience to fully understand his message, hammering it home after the point has been made perfectly well. There's an ending voice-over narration which serves no purpose other than to hit us over the head with what we already know. Some of his images have a similar effect. I could have done without the close-up of Michael Jr.'s bike in the snow as he and his dad first fled the house. I could almost hear Sam Mendes screaming in my ear "Look! The bike is his innocence! Which he's leaving behind! Being buried! In the snow! This was actually my idea which Orson Welles stole from me 60 years ago!"

While the flaws in this movie aren't as powerful as the ones in American Beauty, I don't feel the strong points are as strong either. That movie had an originality and an unpredictability that this film doesn't, so it never achieves either the highs or the lows of American Beauty. However, it's hard to fault a movie for being predictable when it doesn't really try to be anything else. From the opening scene, you can predict exactly where this story is going to end up. It's not about surprising you, it's about telling you a story the best way possible, with interesting characters you will learn to care about greatly.

This brings me to the actors, who are uniformly great.

When Tom Hanks is in a movie, you can't help but bring with you your memories of all the work he's done in the past. You can't help but like him, and that greatly helps us sympathize with a character who might have otherwise come off as a coldhearted monster. Also, in this role, Tom Hanks is able to show more sadness and regret than I've ever seen from him before. He knows what he's done with his life, and he knows he'll never get to heaven, something that he tries to amend by making sure that his son will have a different kind of life.

As for his son, Tyler Hoechlin makes a very impressive debut. He's less a fully rounded character than a silent narrator for us to see that action through, but as that he does a great job.

My favorite performances are the ones from Jude Law and Paul Newman. Jude Law is one of the most talented actors working today, and everything in this performance, from his shuffle-walk to his slouch to his accent, is completely different than what we've seen from him before. His ability to transform himself into a role is nothing short of astounding.

As for Paul Newman, no other actor could bring as much sheer presence to a role like this. You can't help but love this man, just as Michael does, and you totally understand why Michael has given him his life. He also inspires a great respect from Tom Hanks in their scenes together, almost as if Tom is in awe of him. It is like nothing I've ever seen from him before.
So, all in all, do I feel that Road to Perdition is a very good movie? Yes, without a doubt. Is it great? No. Was I disappointed with it? Yes, a little bit. I may be in the minority on this, however. The film did get much applause from the rest of the New Roc audience at the screening I attended. And I know that you can't blame a movie for the hype surounding it. Don't expect a remake of The Godfather. See it on its own terms, and you'll appreciate it the way the director intended.

Jason Berger is a Larchmont resident and film major at Vassar College, as well as a guy with lots of time on his hands who watches tons of movies.

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