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Let
me answer the question that will sent the most parents to
their children’s rooms to look at the dictionary that they
haven’t picked up in a decade.
“Perdition” means, according to Webster, “utter destruction”
or “eternal damnation.” Ironically, in the edition I have, it is right
below “per diem,” which is one of Hollywood’s favorite rest
stops on that road.
The Road to Perdition is, indeed, paved with good intentions.
But unlike the road some of us walk in life, the movie
does not lead to our damnation. It leads to the joy of having experienced a
good yarn, well told. It
leads to reflection on our own lives and all of our own crimes
and misdemeanors. And it leads to that wonderful feeling that
comes after a full meal, well cooked, well served and surprisingly
healthy.
Paul Newman has played moral equivocators his entire career,
whether they were good guys or bad.
Here, he is a man who faces a dilemma made of his own
moral structure… does he support his blood son, aka The Fredo
or his found son, aka The Michael?
As he says at one point in the film, “We are all murderers
in this room.”
DreamWorks has done a wonderful and brilliant thing in selling
this film so far. They
have sold the first act and left the rest of the story for
you to experience in the theater.
Some have read the script and more have read the graphic
novel, but based on the marketing, I didn’t know what was
going to happen. I
had some idea of the relationships and how they might go wrong,
but the details are surprising in an understated way and always
built solidly on the character motivations.
One of the things that I liked most about this film
is that, like the marketing, it doesn’t answer every question
that you have as an audience member.
Even in the climactic next-to-last scene, there are
questions just floating out there… questions that, unanswered,
force you to really think about what happened and how you
feel about it all.
There isn’t a bad performance in The Road to Perdition. Mendes selected a lot of unknown actors to
fill small roles when he could have had better-known faces. Hanks’ character’s eldest son is perfect casting.
Tyler Hoechlin gives a solid performance.
Stanley Tucci, as real-life mob man Frank Nitti, gives
one his most subtle performances ever.
Dylan Baker gets just a handful of lines, but manages
to create a distinct, fresh character. An Irish actor named Ciaran Hinds is also memorable
in a very brief role… keep an eye out for him.
But there are two supporting performances that really stick
with me. Daniel Craig
as Newman’s son… his piercing blue eyes prove the biology,
but his somewhat imperfect looks stand as a perfect explanation
as to why he feels like the world has brought him up short.
He plays his role close to the vest, though you can
feel his pain and rage in every shot. And there is a brief conversational speech
by an actress named Peggy Roeder, playing Farmer Virginia,
that is a really beautiful, wondrous little moment.
The beginning and end of both Sam Mendes movies is cinematographer
Conrad Hall… there is, simply, none better. His work here supercedes even his work on American
Beauty. You can feel
Mendes’ hand on the tiller more this time out.
But Hall’s paint strokes of light are often breathtaking. Editor Jill Billcock has rapidly become one
of Hollywood’s hottest cutters.
Romeo + Juliet, Elizabeth, The Dish, Moulin Rouge and
now this. Dennis Gassner’s production design and Nancy
Haigh’s set decoration are both subtle and complete. Albert Wolsky, one of Hollywood’s legendary costume designers and
one hell of a nice guy, added harsh reality to classic style
to make his work stand out.
And let’s not forget Kathryn Blondell, who is probably
responsible for Jude Law’s hair… see it for yourself.
The Road To Perdition is weighty and stays light on its feet,
thanks to Jude Law’s wonderful character creation and Mendes’
fairly relentless second and third act pacing.
Oscar’s name has been bandied about. This is what I think… no, not really. A great summer movie… Perdition would be a
major contender if released in December, but unless the fall
season comes up short a candidate, the movie will be remembered
as a high-quality genre film that audiences really liked.
But that’s not usually great Oscar bait.
On the other hand, I don’t think that it would do as
much box office in the fall as it will do this summer, even
though it really is a fall film… so DreamWorks wins there.
There will be tech nominations and Conrad Hall should
be nominated once again. Production Design is a near lock. And the screenplay should get an Adapted Screenplay nod. Hanks always has a shot, but as good as he
is here, it’s not a showy turn.
That may be it.
Nonetheless, a wonderful film. See it soon, then see it again.
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