Rating: 
Summary: A Great Improvement on American Beauty
Review: The second film from director Sam Mendes is, in my opinion, a vast improvement on American Beauty. Where American Beauty really had no characters that were compelling and all of them seemed to be caricatures straight from Hollywood's neurotic suburbia playbook, Road To Perdition brings us into the world of complex people driven by honor, duty and filial love to do things that ordinarily they would never think of doing.The plot centers around a hitman, Michael Sullivan (played by Tom Hanks) who's son views him while doing his work. He believes that his son won't snitch, and his boss (Paul Newman) seems to agree. However, the boss' weak son Connor tries to silence the witness by killing Sullivan's wife and younger son and having a club owner kill Michael Sullivan. Things go wrong and Sullivan and his son Michael Jr. escape and are sent on an oddssey of revenge and, strangely enough, self-discovery. The vocation of Michael Sullivan provides an interesting and subversive twist on the old father/son bonding motif. There are also great moments of genuine warmth and humor woven in between the violence and action. The ending is a suprise and is more thoughtful and intelligent than I expected. The best parts of Road to Perdition are: the performances by Hanks and Newman, the cinematography and costumes. Hanks and Newman perfect the roles they have and literally become the characters and look as if the family troubles that form the backbone of the story are written on their faces and in all of their movements. The cinematography and the costumes/sets are, quite simply, amazing. The viewer is literally transported into the 30's, and that's just about the best comment anyone can give to such a work.
Rating:
Summary: Exceptional
Review: Everything about this film works perfectly. The lighting, the sets, the location, the clothes, every single detail is completely appropriate to the era (1931). The cast is a flawless blend of British and American actors, all of whom turn in beautifully controlled performances. It is a film completely devoid of false sentiment, even, in an odd way, of excessive violence. The climactic scene is done in an almost balletic silence, with only one spoken line. Scene after scene is framed and lit in a fashion that evokes Edward Hopper paintings. This is, above all else, a story about fathers and sons; actual father and sons, surrogate fathers and sons. Paul Newman is wonderful as the conflicted father of a reprobate son (played with great fidelity by British actor David Craig), torn between his love of Michael Sullivan, his son in spirit, and Connor, his son in fact. Hanks offers a fine, controlled portrayal of a man betrayed by the father figure (Newman) to whom he believes he owes everything. And young Tyler Hoechlin is equally wonderful as Michael Junior. Jude Law, the ultimate chameleon performer, turns in a creepily effective performance as the photographer/killer hired to wipe out Hanks. There are moments of great humor (Hanks teaching his twelve-year-old son to drive) and others of great joie de vivre (a Gaelic dance sequence at the wake that opens the film), and moments of classic fraternity--young Michael Jr. reading in bed by flashlight, being questioned, to his annoyance, by his younger brother. There is so much to commend this film: the exquisite lighting, the tight editing, the perfect soundtrack, the casting, the directing. In short, everything. Don't miss this. Sam Mendes seems to be a young man who gets it right every time.
Most highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Cinematic and Visual Poetry
Review: What I find is that people who look at this movie fail to grasp the fact that the fast plot that holds many viewer's attention is replaced with a slow developement that is accompanied by a wonderful, beautiful, and absolutely stunning exhibit of cinematic creativity and imagination. There are scenes in this movie that gave me chills when I first saw the film. The director did an absolutely amazing job with camera placement and lighting to create some haunting and absolutely perfect shots that, I am sad to say, are not appreciated by most viewers. These images are topped off by what I consider to be an amazing score by Thomas Newman and, of course, the supurb acting of Tom Hanks and Paul Newman. This movie comes with my highest recommendation.
Rating: 
Summary: Road to Disappointment
Review: After an interesting yet overhyped directorial debut with "American Beauty", Sam Mendes returned with this flawed sophomore release that again tries to give some insight into a darker "american way of life". While "Road to Perdition" has some good cinematography, convincing acting (Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, Jude Law), a well-done score and an impressive photography going for it, the plot is too predictable, unsurprising and replete with overdone cliches. The story is just another look at a burglar and his son`s relationship, and this type of movie has been done countless times. "Road to Perdition", although pretty to look at, adds nothing new to the genre and presents a big share of uninteresting and tiresome scenes that go nowhere. This is indeed a well-crafted, professionaly made movie, yet overall it`s too distant, cold, and doesn`t really have much to offer. Sam Mendes is a gifted director, but unfortunately he didn`t manage to tell a particularly stimulating story here. I`m still curious about his next effort, though, and truly hope it will be above this so-so effort. Decent and well-made, stil average overall.
Rating:
Summary: No warm and fuzzy Tom Hanks here
Review: ROAD TO PERDITION is a major departure for Tom Hanks. He kills people. And don't expect to see Meg Ryan as a cutely tousled co-star. Besides, it rains so much in this film that it would've made her look like a wet doggie. It's 1931, and Hanks plays Michael Sullivan, an enforcer working for crime family head John Rooney (Paul Newman). Though Rooney has an adult son, Connor (Daniel Craig), he regards Michael with the affection reserved for the son he wishes he'd had. Sullivan himself has a wife and two boys. In the film's first half-hour, Connor botches a job assigned to him and Michael by the elder Rooney. In the aftermath of the debacle, Connor kills Michael's wife and his youngest (and favorite) son for reasons too complicated to explain here. For the remainder of the film, Sullivan goes on the lam with Michael, Jr. (Tyler Hoechlin) seeking revenge against Connor while evading a hit man named Maguire (Jude Law) reluctantly hired by John Rooney to pre-empt the reprisal slaying of his own badly behaved offspring. Those who are turned off by ROAD TO PERDITION because of the bloody deeds performed by Hollywood Good Fella Hanks, akin to watching Jimmy Stewart in the role of someone who kicks puppies, are perhaps missing the point. This is a powerful tale of the dynamic that exists between fathers and sons: John and Connor, Michael and Michael, Jr., and John and Michael. This is a Guy Story to be sure. Indeed, in the entire film there's no female lead worth mentioning and very little softness. Much of the magnificent cinematography is done in the dark, brooding atmospheres that one could expect in the Male's Cave. That's not to say that there's no humor. There's a sequence of scenes depicting the young Sullivan's mastering of driving skills that, in the context of the storyline, is positively priceless. Early on, Newman, the mega-star of yesterday, and Hanks, the mega-star of today, play a piano duet (for real). But the sentimental favorite of ROAD TO PERDITION has to be the former, and I foresee a nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Newman's blue eyes continue to shine out of a face that age (and perhaps cosmetic surgery) has only made more striking. Moreover, Paul's Rooney expresses more raw emotion in his relationship with his son than Tom's Sullivan can manage in his. Perhaps this was an intentional part of the script, or perhaps it's a reflection of the accomplished old pro that Newman is and Hanks has yet to be. And Law is especially good as the sinister and creepy Maguire whose hits provide fodder for his day job. I liked this film a lot because it focuses on the nature of the father/son relationship, something which Tinseltown usually ignores. This is likely to be one of the better films of 2002.
Rating:
Summary: The 2nd Best Gangster Movie of All Time
Review: A masterfull piece of work by the new great filmmaker Sam Mendes, director of "American Beauty" (1999). This is the 2nd best gangter movie of all time which is "Road to Perdition" (2002). It also sure is one of the best looking movies of all time, great look! Conrad L. Hall's spectacular cinematography is sure to win a oscar, Tom Hanks is yet again great; in a great project to work on, the screenplay by David Self is also first-rate; which was adapted from the graphic novel by Max Alan Collins and Richard Piers Rayner, and one of the best supporting casts ever assembled in a motion picture include names like Paul Newman, Jude Law, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Daniel Craig, Stanley Tucci, and the biggest surprise is the kid actor Tyler Hoechlin as Micheal Sullivan Jr, the son of Micheal Sullivan played by Hanks. And the one other great thing about this movie is the great production design;just great, and lastly this is a something they used little, but the visual effects used in the movie should get a definate oscar nomination (watch when Micheal Sullivan Jr. looks out the car window when he sees Chicago, and Chicago is reflected on the windows while the camera is in a circular motion on the car). I hope the visual effects wins against my prediction for "LOTR: The Two Towers" (for one of there accomplishments on making Gollum as realistic as possible).
The film is dark on subject matter, which it could be hard to watch at times, but it is without a doubt a masterpiece. I forgot about the music! The musical score by Thomas Newman is fantastic, the music will definately get an oscar nomination. Sam Mendes and Steven Spielberg (who directed one of my favorite films of the year "Minority Report") will have a face-off at the 2002 Oscars.
You probably know what's the best gangster movie which is "The Godfather" (1972), and there are other great gangster movies out there, but nothing can't stop the skilled craftsmanship put together in "Road to Perdition" (2002). Sam Mendes really knows what he's doing!
Rating: 
Summary: Escaping fate
Review: I don't know why this wonderful period film hasn't received more serious attention. Tom Hanks and Paul Newman are fantastic in it, the cinematography is absolutely captivating, and the story line has everything between a battle against fate to Biblical overtones. It's a film about killing and gangsters that avoids gore and car chases in favor of plot. Mr. Hanks plays small-town hit man Michael Sullivan, an orphan raised as a son by the mob's crusty boss John Rooney, played by Mr. Newman. Sullivan's son mistakenly witnesses one of his father's hits, forcing Sullivan to choose between his real family and his crime family. Rooney's son Conner (played by Daniel Craig) complicated things by plotting to push Sullivan out and Sullivan decides to take the boy (played by Tyler Hoechlin) to the safety of a relative's house in a town called Perdition, a fancy word for Hell. The town's name is not the last of the symbolism. The weary choice facing Rooney in regards to Sullivan and to Sullivan in regards to his son is reminiscent of the Biblical story of Abraham and Isaac. More compellingly, the battle between Sullivan and Rooney's son Conner recalls the story of Cain and Abel. But the whole film recalls an increasingly desperate battle against fate ... nobody seems to break free of it. Mr. Hanks' Sullivan desperately wants his son to avoid the Hell of life as a hit man (but what an example he sets: Sullivan kills almost every other character in the film), but he tries to do so by taking him to Hell (Perdition). It is in Perdition that the most obvious symbolism takes place: once father and son arrive, the boy stands at the edge of Hell when he holds the gun in his hand and has a chance to kill the photographer/hit man character played by Jude Law. But he doesn't pull the trigger and he remains pure. The film ends like it begins, on the brightly lit beach -- heaven near the house in Perdition. The brightly lit ending is particularly noticeable because of the gritty cinematography that makes most of the film feel almost as if it was shot in black and white (and more black than white). The only thing I didn't like about the film was the ending, which seemed to wrap things up a little too predictably and even unbelievably. It seems like a stretch that the character Sullivan would not figure out what was about to happen in the closing minutes of the film when I and the other people I watched the film with could see it coming -- recall that this is a character who instantly processed and avoided what was about to happen in the diner and again after he found the mob's accountant. The only explanation I could come up with was that on some level Sullivan wanted the story to end that way, which just seems contrived in a different way to me. I'm also a little displeased with the character played by Mr. Law, whose strangely feminine edge makes him into the film's creepiest character, but who missed an opportunity to be unforgettable when he failed to illustrate his motives better. Similarly, Hoechlin, the boy, too often seems in awe, and as a result comes off a bit two-dimensional. Still, the overall product is too well done to be overlooked to the extent that it was. I could understand an Academy Award snub in a strong year, but it was nominated for just six awards (only one was major, for the supporting role played by Mr. Newman). In the end, it won only the award for cinematography in a year so weak that the rudderless Chicago won best picture and the formulaic Gangs of New York and that year's installment of the Lord of the Rings (Two Towers) were much better received.
Rating:
Summary: Road to Disappointment
Review: After an interesting yet overhyped directorial debut with "American Beauty", Sam Mendes returned with this flawed sophomore release that again tries to give some insight into a darker "american way of life". While "Road to Perdition" has some good cinematography, convincing acting (Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, Jude Law), a well-done score and an impressive photography going for it, the plot is too predictable, unsurprising and replete with overdone cliches. The story is just another look at a burglar and his son`s relationship, and this type of movie has been done countless times. "Road to Perdition", although pretty to look at, adds nothing new to the genre and presents a big share of uninteresting and tiresome scenes that go nowhere. This is indeed a well-crafted, professionaly made movie, yet overall it`s too distant, cold, and doesn`t really have much to offer. Sam Mendes is a gifted director, but unfortunately he didn`t manage to tell a particularly stimulating story here. I`m still curious about his next effort, though, and truly hope it will be above this so-so effort. Decent and well-made, stil average overall.
Rating:
Summary: What a surprise! Hanks & Newman at their best.
Review: I wanted to see Road to Perdition because of Tom Hanks & Paul Newman but didn't expect to really enjoy the movie due to the subject matter. What I got was a surprise. Not only are Hanks & Newman excellent but I also enjoyed the cinematography, music and story. I can't compare Perdition to other gangster movies such as The Godfather because I never saw them. However, I can say that this film seemed very authentic. The story follows Michael Sullivan (Hanks) as he hunts for the fellow mobster who killed his wife and youngest son. The killer happens to be the son of John Rooney (Newman) - the man who raised Sullivan and thinks of him as a son. The tensions and conflicting loyalties of the main characters are what make the story interesting. Hanks' versatility as an actor allows him to bring some humanity to a character who has, on the surface, few redeeming values. Newman's performance brings back memories of some of his most memorable roles. Jude Law is also very good as the hit man hired to get Sullivan. What really got me, though, was the attention to detail relative to the time period and the haunting music that accompanied the film. Combined with the wonderful performances the "atmosphere" became a character in itself. The pace is slow and could be tedious if you are expecting lots of action. Instead, the focus is on the process, not the end result. Watching Sullivan move from cold mobster to caring/loving father is more important than the action scenes. Watch Tyler Hoechlin as an up-and-coming actor. I found his portrayal of the Hanks' surviving son compelling. I expect to see lots of Academy nominations from Road to Perdition, if not actual awards. I certainly think it's a very good movie but I don't get to vote!
Rating:
Summary: A Great Gangster Film
Review: Mike Sullivan (Hanks) is a faithful strong man for crime boss John Rooney (Newman). Sullivan's son witnesses a murder which makes Rooney unconfortable and puts Sullivan and his son on the run. This isn't lite fare and you may want to hesitate before bringing your 11 year old to see it. Still, great cinematography, direction and wonderful performances by Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, and Jude Law make this a film you don't want to miss.
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