| Road
To Perdition |
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Sam Mendes grabbed the world's attention with his directorial debut, 'American Beauty', a satirical dissection of the middle-class suburban family in contemporary America - even if the film was somewhat overhyped and overrated (similar themes were treated far more bitingly in Todd Solondz's 'Happiness', released in the same year). Now Mendes returns with 'The Road to Perdition', another fable of family dynamics, this time set in the world of Depression-era organised crime. |
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| Michael
Sullivan (Tom Hanks) is a doting family man: he has a wife and two sons,
and though Michael's own parents are long dead, he is cherished like a son
by his employer John Rooney (Paul Newman) - so much so, in fact, that he
vies with Rooney's real son, Connor (Daniel Craig), for Rooney's affection.
Sullivan is also, however, a mob enforcer, and when his older son (Tyler
Hoechlin) witnesses him and Connor at work, events force father and son
to go on the run together, pursued by hired killer Maguire (Jude Law at
his most joyfully sinister).
Most aspects of this film are perfectly adequate, if not outstanding. It was clearly a masterstroke to cast Tom Hanks, Hollywood's favourite everydad, in the role of a father who is deeply flawed- but Hanks has based his career on reducing his characters (be they AIDS victims, idiots savants, platoon leaders, or castaways) to dull ciphers, easy for the audience to identify with precisely because they are such careful studies in ordinariness, and in this film he is no different. Similarly, the big name actors whom Mendes has managed to attract with his new-found star status - Paul Newman, Jennifer Jason Leigh (as Sullivan's wife), Stanley Tucci (as Frank Nitti) - all do a professional job on their roles, but one senses that they do not really have a lot to work with (Jude Law excepted). David Self's script manages to find a balance between mobster action piece and subtle exploration of father-son relationships - but it never quite matches the impact or insight of 'The Godfather', 'Miller's Crossing', or any episode of 'The Sopranos' for that matter. The real stars of Road to Perdition are its director, cinematographer, and set designer, who have collaborated to give this film a stylish look, rich in atmosphere and period detail. A thoroughly convincing world of speakeasies, diners and hotel suites has been recreated, where tobacco is sold by pharmacists, and banktellers know their customers by name. Mendes is clearly a director to watch, and while Road to Perdition may not be a masterpiece, it is certainly accomplished, and worth seeing.
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