It comes as a surprise to me that not a lot people like this film and that it isn't mentioned as a classic in much the same way that Sam Mendes' first movie, American Beauty, is, because in my opinion (and I loved American Beauty it has to be said), Road to Perdition is a much more satisfying and more moving experience. In an era when gangster or crime movies are much more modern and full to the brim with four lettered words and obscene acts of violence, Road to Perdition is almost an old fashioned film. Superficially it recalls the gangster movies of the thirties (it does take place in the 1930's after all), the type of film you would see Bogart and or Cagney in, but the script is more in line with what you would have got from Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola as well as Sergio Leone, as it recalls very much films like The Godfather and Once Upon A Time In America with its complex character motivations and almost Shakespearian-esquire sense of tragedy and drama. Even the visuals are similar. One sequence has Michael Sr and Michael Jr (played by the wonderful double act of Tom Hanks and Tyler Hoechlin) seeking refuge in a home owned by a couple who are only too happy to take them in and the lighting is almost an orange color in the interior shots, almost in such a way that one cannot help but think of The Godfather trilogy.
This being Sam Mendes there is a lot more going on here than just a film about gangsters. It is a wonderful story of fathers and sons, regret and a message that one should always love their family when they have one because you never know when it could all change. Even better is that Mendes and screenwriter David Self manage to tell this story without ever going into the realms of sentimentality. The emotional impact of the movie is kept raw and real, so much so in the final moments, which I won't reveal here. The casting likewise is on the money. Tom Hanks has never, I repeat, never been better than he is here, his performance controlled and at a distance. Forget Forrest Gump and Philadelphia, this is the film which contains his best performance. Likewise Paul Newman. Watching him here makes you regret that this legend doesn't do more movies in this day and age and then there is Tyler Hoechlin. This is a child actor with real grit and edge and never once, like many child actors nowadays (stand up Haley Joel Osmond), does his performance feel like a performance, it feels real.
I love this film so much, I think it's a shame that it isn't as regarded as highly as it should be as everyone puts it work that is so good. Special mention must also go to Thomas Newman (one of my favorite composer) and Conrad Hall, photographing his last film, whose works is also up to an impossibly high standard. If you have still to watch this film, please do, you won't regret it. Just make sure you have a box of hankies ready, as you'll need them.
This being Sam Mendes there is a lot more going on here than just a film about gangsters. It is a wonderful story of fathers and sons, regret and a message that one should always love their family when they have one because you never know when it could all change. Even better is that Mendes and screenwriter David Self manage to tell this story without ever going into the realms of sentimentality. The emotional impact of the movie is kept raw and real, so much so in the final moments, which I won't reveal here. The casting likewise is on the money. Tom Hanks has never, I repeat, never been better than he is here, his performance controlled and at a distance. Forget Forrest Gump and Philadelphia, this is the film which contains his best performance. Likewise Paul Newman. Watching him here makes you regret that this legend doesn't do more movies in this day and age and then there is Tyler Hoechlin. This is a child actor with real grit and edge and never once, like many child actors nowadays (stand up Haley Joel Osmond), does his performance feel like a performance, it feels real.
I love this film so much, I think it's a shame that it isn't as regarded as highly as it should be as everyone puts it work that is so good. Special mention must also go to Thomas Newman (one of my favorite composer) and Conrad Hall, photographing his last film, whose works is also up to an impossibly high standard. If you have still to watch this film, please do, you won't regret it. Just make sure you have a box of hankies ready, as you'll need them.