Road to Perdition Reviews

I already saw this movie, in fact, I even saw it in the movie theater when it was released but, since it was such a long time ago, I was quite eager to check it out again. I remember it very well when it was released though. Indeed, after Sam Mendes’s amazing directing debut, ‘American Beauty’, there were some huge expectations with his following directing debut and it was a very ambitious period piece starring Tom Hanks who was the biggest movie star in the world back in those days. Eventually, I did like it, the whole thing looked awesome and there was indeed an impressive cast (Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, Jude Law, Daniel Craig, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Ciarán Hinds, Stanley Tucci) but, still, I wasn’t really blown away by the whole thing. I think the main issue was with the tone. Indeed, basically, it was supposed to be a dark and complex tale about two men who love and respect each other and who would do anything to protect their respective sons. However, it seems that, to make it more accessible to the mainstream audience (it was even released in the summer in the middle of the blockbuster season), they really toned down the dark edges of this story which was a misguided approach. It was especially obvious during the scenes focusing on Mike Sullivan and his son when they were together on the road. For some reason, it became some kind of whimsical bonding road-trip which was, in my opinion, rather inappropriate considering the circumstances. This tonal issue was also obvious in the performances. Indeed, Paul Newman, in his final performance, was just pitch-perfect and I really believed that his character was competent, fair but also really ruthless. Tom Hanks should have played on the same level but, unfortunately, he kept playing his character as basically a good guy who wanted to protect his son and I never had the feeling that I was actually watching a cold-hearted killer. Anyway, to conclude, even though it was slightly disappointing, it was still a solid feature and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.

A painting in motion! This is a beautiful film professionally shot with interesting characters, a hauntingly beautiful musical score, and a touching story.

Now Road to Perdition is a film that plays itself like a film-noir so expertly that should it had been released at the 40's, the heyday of film-noir, it would've been very trend-setting. But of course, technology sometimes has it's advantages and it's brilliantly showcased here, making it one of the most beautiful, visual-wise, films I've ever seen. The story-line is simple, yet capturing and is very plausible. I liked virtually everything about this film: The actors, the set, the dialogues, the scenes everything...

Now you see, Tom Hanks's career is divided into two parts: Pro-Gump and Post-Grump and this film, alongside Cast Away and, to further extend, The Terminal stands out as his best pro-Gump films. Not to say his others are not good but these three are among his greatest. His portrayal of Michael Sullivan won me over. He had the built, the look and the voice of a 30's / 40's gangster and he blended in easily. He shares an almost flawless chemistry with Daniel Craig, who plays Connor Rooney, despite the fact they're together on-screen only for a couple of minutes. I would love to see them together in another film. Paul Newman as John Rooney was like the backbone of the film. Handling his character effortlessly, he reminded me of a less-lazy version of Vito Corleone. Tyler Hoechlin gave a decent performance as Michael Sullivan, Jr. If you watch the film, it may not seem much but if you review it afterwards, then you will realize how convincing he really was. A minor setback, however, was Jude Law as the merciless photo-killer Maguire. His performance was good but it bordered somewhere in the lines of being cartoonish. It was like as if the school's nerdiest kid trying to act like a tough bully but an OK performance nonetheless.

In conclusion, this is one of the best polished, and beautiful, gangster films of all time and one that has a-lot more than just your average Tommy-guns or violence acts. It has a story and it has fleshed-out characters! A must watch...

8.5/10

One of the best Gangster Movie of all times.

Sam Mendes and Conrad Hall build this amazing, captivating, emotive world and then don’t find anything to do in it. Some great performances from Newman, Craig and Hanks almost distract from the languid pacing.

Thematically it’s a very slight film which would sing if it was a little shorter, as it is the pace kills the thing and nearly undoes a lot of good work. The amazing score by Thomas Newman both helps and hinders the film, giving it a dreamy quality which almost lulls the viewer.

Still the first and last fifteen minutes are kind of amazing, it's such a shame the film can't crystalise into something great.

Outstanding cinematography and music. A gripping and emotional drama.
Nominated for 6 Academy Awards - Winning for Best Cinematography.
Starring Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, Jude Law, Stanley Tucci, Daniel Craig, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Tyler Hoechlin.

Okay, let's forget the comicbook for a moment.
Road To Perdition is a quality film that addresses an area of the mobster life that rarely gets any notice from most movies from this genre: the relationship of a gangster with his kid(s) when the child is at the age in which the the parent's influence is most strongest & begins to crystalize in the kid's identity. Just this one aspect of the mafia lifestyle is enough to open a new set of ideas for future movies plotlines that focus on those in the world of organized crime.
Tom Hanks wanders out of his standard role to play an assasin who, along with his only survivng son, is on the run from the crime syndicate which he formerly called home. A life & death experience which reveals that there's a difference between the blood that is spilled for a mob-family & the blood that is shared between a real family.

"There are many stories about Michael Sullivan. Some say he was a decent man. Some say there was no good in him at all. But I once spent 6 weeks on the road with him, in the winter of 1931..."

Following Sam Mendes' success with his masterpiece American Beauty, I found Road to Perdition to be a stunning, captivating, brilliant gangster thriller. The film is one of the best additions to the gangster genre of late and places itself in the league of such other gangster greats as The Godfather and GoodFellas.

Tom Hanks is an Irish mob hitman named Michael Sullivan who has dedicated his life to his career. Sullivan feels very distant from his family, especially his children who don't really know what he does for a living. His son Michael Jr. (Hoechlin) is curious, and is challenged by his younger brother to follow their father to work one night. But that night his life is changed when he witnesses a brutal slaying.

Now Sullivan and his family are in danger as the mafia are afraid that little Michael will talk. The film then follows father and son as they flee their home town to avoid the wrath of the men Sullivan used to work for, and to ensure that young Michael does not end up like his father.

The plot is fairly simple and straight-forward, but expanded upon extremely well by the screenwriter. The film does not go on for very long at all when you compare it to the running time of the other gangster classics. And this works because it doesn't waste any time with boring dialogue, but keeps the audience enthralled in the action that is occurring.

But the prominent thing that was vital for the success of the movie was the performances by the cast. Each performance was engaging and vibrant, with Tom Hanks in what could be his finest hour. We have never seen Hanks like this before. He is very sadistic and quite soft spoken. It was in his accent that helped the audience feel so mesmerised by every line that he delivered. Newcomer Tyler Hoechlin was fantastic. He is still a reasonably young actor, but he was able to make the audience feel a sense of intensity during the more thrilling sequences. I was unable to recognise Jude Law in such a unique performance here. Playing a hitman who is sent to eliminate Hanks' character, he feels so evil and so mesmerised by what he's doing. With each line he gives the audience the impression that he's some kind of a mad man. He looks and sounds like a man on the edge, who is usually very calm and concentrated on the task at hand; be it killing someone or photographing a corpse. Daniel Craig was fascinating to say the least. He's not his usual wooden self, but a completely different person altogether. Paul Newman was superb as a mob boss.

Sam Mendes excelled himself in the directing aspect. It was the film's visual style that keeps the audience engrossed for the film's duration. He keeps the dialogue taut, and in the scenes of action (which are very rare, to say the least) he keeps the violence strong and highly realistic.

It was a magnificent creative choice about the dynamic sound design. The gunshots sound so loud and deafening compared to the dialogue or anything else. And hence the dialogue will sound faint, but audible, and then when a gun is fired it sounds so deafening and something we did not expect. The sound is very contrasting to keep the audience on the edge and it does a fantastic job of it.

Road to Perdition is an extremely good movie and will become a gangster classic. The beautiful Oscar-winning cinematography, the focused direction, the engrossing performances and the vigorous sound design all add up to one fantastic experience. Do yourself a favour, and watch it.