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Road To Perdition cast: Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, Jude Law, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Stanley Tucci director: Sam Mendes 117 minutes (15) 2002 20th Century Fox VHS rental or retail Also available to rent or buy on DVD RATING: 9/10 reviewed by Debbie Moon |
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Adapted from an acclaimed graphic novel by Max Allan Collins, Road To Perdition is a richly layered fable about fathers and sons, and all the tragic misunderstandings and betrayals that force them apart. Tom Hanks delivers a grim, subtle performance as Sullivan, a man of quiet ingenuity and carefully masked emotions. His relationship with Paul Newman's world-weary Rooney, fond 'father' and reluctant enemy, forms the emotional core of the story, paralleling Sullivan's relationship with his own son. Tyler Hoechlin does a fine job as Michael Jr growing into a genuine relationship with his father for the first time as they first become fugitives, then (in a rare moment of humour) turn on the mob and hit it where it hurts - in the pocket.
Building to a magnificently shot confrontation between Sullivan and Rooney, and then a final tragedy, every image of this epic is lit and framed with meticulous care. At times, that can suggest the film is more style than substance, but the simple story and controlled emotions have their own quiet charms. A resolutely traditional story of honour, loyalty, and fatherly duty, Road To Perdition rewards the patient viewer with terrific performances and a gripping tale of innocence lost.