Rating: 
Summary: Road to Boredom
Review: A+ for the cinematography and costumes but what a horrid story line. What were they thinking?
Rating: 
Summary: Forgettable
Review: Good acting, scenery and creating the general mood of the period, but, the story itself was not as earth-shatteringly memorable as was advertised. Typical mobster fare. Lot's of
coolness and cold-blooded killing. I kept waiting for the deep story that was supposed to be so "electrifying," but it never developed. I wish I had rented this one. I did watch it all the way through but it didn't it didn't leave me particularly stirred.
Rating: 
Summary: Storytelling at its finest!
Review: I really did not know what to expect from this movie, I only knew that I loved "American Beauty" and wanted to see what the director, Sam Mendes, had done next. Wow, was I in for a nice surpise!The movie is set in the days of Al Capone, but in a small town outside of chicago where the gambling and booze is controlled by Paul Newman, aided by his son, the heir apparent, and his adopted son, Tom Hanks. Tom Hanks is an enforcer, Newman's strong arm, who tries to lead a normal home life with a wife and two sons. When his sons ask him what he does for a living, the mother, Jennifer Jason Leigh, says "putting food on your plate, young man!" There is a definite taboo on anyone talking about anything illegal or even admitting that they are outside the law. Do we believe nice guy Hanks as an Irish mobster? I did. A prosthetic nose helps change his looks just enough. Hanks proves once again he can be versatile as an actor and isn't just the nice romantic every-man. The movie begins at a wake which quickly establishes all of the relationships, including a Cain and Abel theme as Paul Newman's son looks on at the obvious rapport between Newman and Hanks with envy and jealousy. The story really begins when Tom Hanks' eldest son decides to hide himself in the car and see what his father does for a living, and so witnesses a murder by Paul Newman's son, who doesn't believe he can keep a secret and tragically, kills his mother and brother. Hanks and his son go on the run and eventually become a huge thorn in the side of Capone's business interests as Hanks exacts his revenge. All of the performances are stupendous, especially Newman who chooses his flesh and blood son over the adopted son he really loves, and Jude Law as a really sick hit man who specializes in taking pictures of dead people. Also amazing is the cinematography, which has the feel of a black and white film even though it's in color. Many of the shots could be framed as art, and they are actually art because this movie is based on a graphic novel. The director sets the mood and tone from the outset with his camera work and the excellent score by Thomas Newman. Others have complained that the movie is slow, but I didn't think so, to me it was more elegant than slow. I appreciated every single scene and wouldn't have liked to see any of them cut. It especially made the violence stand out - the moments of violence and action seem to come out of nowhere, and are all the more shocking and realistic because of that. Really, this is a story of a father and a son that just happens to be in the context of a gangster movie, and that's what makes this movie really special. These aren't cardboard cutouts weilding tommy guns, these are flesh-and-blood people trying to give their sons a better life then they had. People who have broken every commandment, believe they are going to hell, but draw the line at betraying their sons. To protect their children they will do anything, and that is always admirable, even when the father is an enforcer for the mob. I'm very surprised it wasn't nominated for best movie, it's much more solid and attains what it sets out to do, unlike "Gangs of New York." It has everything you could want in a movie - real emotions of many variations and dynamics, great character acting, awesome visuals and a fanastic score. It also translates well to the small screen and the DVD has a nice audio commentary by the director, who points out why he chose to film certain things the way he did to layer meaning into the story visually. It may not be the kind of movie you'll want to watch over and over, but it's definitely worth a first look.
Rating:
Summary: A Phenomenal Movie; So-So DVD
Review: Seems like I've been waiting forever for this outstanding movie to finally come out on DVD. I was even tempted to go to the theatre to see it a second time! Finally, "Road to Perdition" is out to own on DVD. While the DVD could've been somewhat better and include more extras, it's still enjoyable. This dark and sad movie is about a father who's a hit man for The Rooney Family. Michael Sullivan does a job without asking questions, and also without his family nosing around in what he does. While his wife and younger son doesn't feel the need to nose around, his older son does and it leads him to witness a murder of opposing mobsters conducted by Sullivan and Rooney's son. Soon tragedy strikes after the witnessing, and Michael knows that him and his son are all alone with no one to help them. They must leave and fend for themselves. Michael only hopes that his son does not walk the path that he himself has. All of this is a set-up for a beautifully orchestrated mafia masterpiece. I was so amazed by this movie. It really did remind me of the original "Godfather." It has the look and feel of it all. Tom Hanks is excellent in his role, breaking away from his traditional "nice-guy" characters and tackling something darker. Paul Newman is great in the film as well. I also really enjoyed Jude Law's performance as the sinister and twisted photographer. What can I say, I found absolutely nothing wrong with the movie. It's all very well crafted and executed. The DVD is all right, but I was hoping for more. I was expecting a very fully loaded edition to suit a movie of this caliber. Sadly, that is not the case. The movie looks and sounds outstanding. Especially the sound! I was going to wait to get the DTS version, but after seeing the regular version I find there is no need to. It sounds phenomenal. And the extras that are included are great too, I was just hoping for more. What you can expect on the DVD are things like deleted scenes, an HBO documentary, commentary from the director, production notes, and a photo gallery. I was really let down when I saw there was no trailer. I thought the trailer for this was extremely well done and was sad to see that it had not made it on the DVD. Still, it is a good DVD and shouldn't take away one's enjoyment of the film. While the DVD could've been a little better, "Road to Perdition" is an outstanding achievement; both on the cinematic and story front. This is why I still give it five stars; they're for the movie, not the DVD. I have already watched it at least three times since my purchasing of the movie. It's a great, but sad masterpiece that should've gotten more recognition. It certainly should've received more Oscar nominations!! Still, a great and tragic movie it is. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a great movie.
Rating:
Summary: Great American Drama
Review: Director Sam Mendes chose a great story to follow up his debut, American Beauty. Road to Perdition, a critically acclaimed comic book, was just the kind of environment and storyline Mendes could use to highlight his amazing skill behind the camera. Road to Perdition is a stylish, well-written and acted adult drama that really captures the images and stories of Depression era Chicago. The story centers on Michael Sullivan, a family man living outside of Chicago. By all appearances, he is a good father with a stable family of his wife and two kids. In reality, Sullivan is one of the most dangerous men in Chicago, an enforcer for the Irish mob. Under the tutelage of Mr. Rooney, Sullivan has grown to be a feared killer. His loyalty to Mr. Rooney is complete, for Rooney saved him and his family from the poverty that has swept the nation. In return, Sullivan keeps the alcohol business in line with fearsome amounts of violence. At the same time, he has to balance the duties of a father with his real job, trying to keep the two separate. This whole strategy falls apart when his oldest son, Michael, witnesses something too horrible to be ignored. Slowly but surely, with the aid of Rooney's nefarious younger son, Sullivan?s world falls apart. He is forced to take drastic measures for his son, and for his own honor. This movie is wonderful on so many levels. The first thing that struck me was the elegant beauty of the actual shots. It seems like every scene was expertly crafted to ensure its individual meaning and atmosphere. From majestic shots of Prohibition era Chicago to the farmlands of the Midwest, Road to Perdition is one of the best-shot movies I have ever seen. Next, the story is brilliant and intense. The drama continues to build, as Sullivan comes closer and closer to the endgame of his dangerous strategy. Road to Perdition is aided immeasurably by some amazing performances. The two standouts are Paul Newman, who portrays the aging but dynamic Boss Rooney, who is torn between the love he feels for Sullivan and the responsibilities of a father. The other is Jude Law, who plays a psychopathic assassin sent to kill Sullivan. His frightening presence on the screen is something to see. The only thing that was wrong with this movie was Hanks himself. He delivers a good performance, but I never felt his character had enough menace. It was not his fault, Sullivan was never fleshed out enough. Overall though, this is a great American film.
Rating: 
Summary: Stellar Acting & Cinematography
Review: ROAD TO PERDITION is Sam Mendes follow up to his award-winning AMERICAN BEAUTY. Although it's not as stellar as BEAUTY, it is still a magnificent film. What 'Road to Perdition' PERDITION is stylishly presented and showcases excellent performances. The film opens at the funeral of Finn McGovern's brother in Depression-era America. The McGovern's both worked for John Rooney (Paul Newman) an Irish mob-leader whose surrogate son is Michael Sullivan (Tom Hanks). Along with providing Sullivan with a father figure he has given him all of the opportunities possible, and by the time the film opens he has progressed to becoming Rooney's right-hand man - much to the annoyance of Rooney's biological son, Connor (Daniel Craig). Sullivan's own sons are slightly confused about exactly what their father does, and one night the eldest of the two, Michael (Tyler Hoechlin) decides to follow his father after seeing him remove a gun from his jacket. Michael sees the unstable Connor shoot Finn McGovern who is proving difficult for the Rooney family following his brother's death, and witnesses his father 'clear up' after Connor's impulsiveness. This sets off a chain of events, resulting in the deaths of the other two members of the Sullivan family as Connor tries to wipe out potential threats contrary to his father's wishes, and leads the two Michael Sullivan's to flee on the road to Perdition - followed by Jude Law's eerie assassin and photographer Harlen Maguire. Ultimately this is a film about relationships, more than a gangster film where gun-touting violence is at its core. Thankfully Tom Hanks' depiction of Michael Sullivan is an understated one. He plays Michael with an element of coldness, one that befits a murderer, but one that also displays the reality of his relationship with the younger Michael. His performance is restrained as he struggles with emotions connected with his wife and son's death and his, at times, strained relationship with his remaining son, who desperately seeks his father's approval. Complementing Hanks is the young Tyler Hoechlin whose performance is also quite restrained. His response to his mother's death contains many similarities with his father's. Hoechlin manages to bring contradictions together in his role maintaining quietness engagingly and the energy of youth when required. Michael's surrogate father, Newman is as exceptionally well played as his surrogate son. What more could we really expect from Newman who manages to depict his disappointment and pain and the ensuing events through his weary face and tired eyes. His natural son is also equally well played by Daniel Craig. Where Newman is tired, Craig is obviously impulsive, and seldom does his impetuousness prove to be warranted. He is nervous yet self-assured, obviously a loose cannon that Newman is both ashamed of but bound to out of duty and, unfortunately, love to protect. 'Road to Perdition' is an intelligently made gangster film that has an epic feel filled with a coldness that can only remind you of the 'Godfather'. The acting is strong across the board with performances being detailed and well-judged - all resulting in a film that is only spoiled by an ending that is a little too neatly finished. Admittedly the film may be a little predictable, but essentially it is the beauty in the telling which makes this one to watch. Highly recommened.
Rating:
Summary: Stunning, Awesome, For Fathers and Sons, Just a great movie
Review: I just saw this movie for the first time and I was blown away. This movie is really awesome. Tom Hanks plays his character so well. And so does the kid! And Paul Newman is great as the Godfather type, and he delivered one of the most insanely moving and true lines I have ever heard: "Open your eyes! This is what we do, and there's only one guarantee, none of us will see heaven." Okay I don't remember the exact quote off the top of my head but it was just awesome. Directing was also great. Mendes is a genius. One of the last scenes in the movie where Hanks is blowing all of the gangsters away while it was raining and he was far away, I will never forget that sequence. It was stunning. I was like OMG, that's awesome! This will easily go on my top 10 of greatest movies ever made. Spectacualar!
Rating:
Summary: An empty experience.
Review: You have to be a little wary whenever a movie starts with a nostalgia-drenched voiceover by an adolescent boy...***Uh-oh! Warning, warning!!*** Will the director have what it takes to rise above this pitfall? You'd think that Sam Mendes, whose direction of "American Beauty" showed remarkable narrative and textural depth and admirably original ironies, would be one of the guys who could redeem themselves after such a palpably weak introduction. However, this would-be arthouse crime thriller relies too heavily on its measured tempo and soft-edged presentation, but doesn't back it up in the end. This is, we are clearly and unceasingly telegraphed, a Thinking Person's Crime Film, and as such falls readily into the category of melodrama. Tom Hanks, ever likeable, plays (oooh!) a bad guy... sort of, but not quite. A seasoned gunsel for the local Irish mob, Hanks finds himself a victim of his boss's own dirty laundry and, with his life ruined and in peril, he goes on the lam with his 12-year old son, forming a one-and-a-half-man army against the Mob. This movie is well produced and engaging (and beautifully shot, by cinematographer Conrad L. Hall), but ultimately it's just another hollow glorification of gun culture, masquerading as a morality tale. I enjoyed watching this film, but felt empty and unnourished as it slid slowly to a halt, and as soon as I started to think about it, even a bit resentful. This is the sort of Boy Film where it's easier to kill a man's family than to fully construct them as realistic characters, and in which the logic of violence too easily overcomes the reality of emotion -- sort of like a movie version of that old Harry Chapin song, "Cat's In The Cradle," but with lots of guns and a "happy" ending where the son realizes what a mensch his gangster dad was. Paul Newman is grave, charismatic and not very prominent as the Midwestern crime boss, while Jude Law is squandered in his role as a sadistic hitman. However, somebody really oughtta cast the kid, Tyler Hoechlin, in some movie along with Leonard DiCaprio, either as a relative or as a younger version of Lennie... they have a very similar sleepy-eyed look. Other than that, I didn't get much out of this film.
Rating:
Summary: funny how dreamworks is
Review: Well this film is all about mass produced low quality film. Dreamworks is the flagship studio for cheap much marketed films that don't deliver a nice viewing experience. Take the haunting by spielbore. This is another film-----a bad one----that is long on hype and hopelessly bad. Dad guilty about being a mobster who has to chooses job or son? Woa don't blow me away with plot complication! Only manaiac reviewer outsmart themselves into thinking this is a decent film---it's rot.
Rating:
Summary: A worthy follow up to American Beauty
Review: With all the critical praise and the handful of Academy Awards that were bestowed on American Beauty, director Sam Mendes had a lot to live up to with his follow up film. Based on the graphic novel by Max Allan Collins, Road to Perdition tells the story of Irish mob hitman Mike Sullivan (Tom Hanks) who, along with his pre-teen son, are on the run while he seeks revenge on his former partner who murdered his family. Hanks gives one of his better (but not his best) performances as he tries to against his typical good guy roles (a la an Oscar winning Denzel Washington), but in the end he comes out being a likeable character nonetheless. Paul Newman (in an Oscar nominated performance) chews up as much screen time as he can, but his best moments are when he and Hanks share the screen together. The standout performance however, goes to Jude Law as a picture taking hitman sent after Hanks and son, and while his screen time is limited, Law is simply chilling and gives us the film's most memorable role. Mendes' directing is slow paced, but that doesn't take anything away from the film thanks to the gorgeous cinematography that set this tale of redemption and revenge apart from other films of its' genre. All in all, I strongly suggest Road to Perdition to anyone and everyone, although some will say that this is not for all tastes.
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