Rich On Road To Perdition

I went to a preview the other day. In return for the chance to see the film early, we had to fill in a questionnaire to gauge our reaction. I think it's so the makers can ensure they aren't about to offend anyone with a specific scene, or whatever. I complained about the final scene, figuring if I was vehement enough, they'd have no choice but to cut it out.

The movie in question was Sam Mendes' follow-up to American Beauty. The scene is 1930s Chicago and Michael Sullivan Senior. (Tom Hanks) is a hired gun for John Rooney (Paul Newman), a local gangster boss. After witnessing his father's abilities first-hand, Michael Jr kicks off a chain of events which sees father and son forced to flee their home and hit the road to self-discovery and, more importantly, revenge.

Now the summer is the time for big hits and blockbusters, so the autumn is traditionally reserved for more thought-provoking drama, films on a deeper level. So the appearance of more intense dramas can be quite welcome after the recent no-brainers. With a film like Road To Perdition, you're getting a movie that will hopefully tie you emotionally to the story and characters¿ at least, after the upper-class movie mag hype, that's what I hoped.

Plot flaws

In spirit it's a gangster film like the old films of the 1930s and 1940s based at the end of the prohibition era - so it's gangsters and guns time. That may be what happens on screen, but what it's actually about is a man and his son coming to terms with each other, and ultimately changing each other for the better. Not unlike Costner's A Perfect World. Indeed the similarities are very close.

Although it's better than Costner's efforts, it's just not that good. A script that generally lacks invention and a story that isn't as clever as the writer would have you believe undermine what could be a classic piece of cinema. All the ingredients are there: a very strong cast; a director who is basking in his glory and applying his visual techniques to a story that really suits him.

The plot flaws are very important to me. When I watch a film like this, I revert to being a child, watching movies aimed at adults with my parents. Back then I was in awe of grown-ups' movies. The people who made them were clearly very intelligent. So when I figured out the three reasons why this story didn't work - and, worst of all, predicted the ending - I kind of figured that maybe the writers weren't so clever after all. The 1930s set-up and gangster themes weren't particularly cliched but, after an opening that promised so much, it's a very basic road movie.

Semiotics

But the performances are very good. Hanks clearly loves the opportunity to play against type but, being a Hollywood movie, it's inevitable that even though he is a bad guy, he's a decent, honest and cool bad guy with redeeming features that mean he might not be that bad after all. But, like the lad that plays his son on screen, Tyler Hoechlin, none of the leads are given any dialogue that really gives them the opportunity to show off their dramatic abilities. The arrival of Jude Law on screen every now and then is more of a let-down than I expected. It's clear to see here that he is a quality actor, but he's Jude Law every time I see him these days, rather than the character he plays. Paul Newman gives a typical powerhouse performance and couldn't have suited the role more. The man's eyes act most other people off the screen.

As for the direction, it's a long, slow, brooding drama, which takes a while to kick in. The scenes are as long as they need to be and it unfolds in its own time. It's something the younger viewers may find irritating and frustrating. I'm always going on about the MTV generation, but this is exactly what I mean - Mendes is not a director who made his name on commercials and pop videos. For him, this is a completely different film in terms of the story, but Mendes is the sort of director who sticks to the same production values that define his work, so it will always feel familiar.

If you were to look beneath the surface, you'll find a whole host of symbolism and semiotics. At one point Mendes even pays homage to Citizen Kane, with a bicycle lying in the snow as the young Michael leaves his innocence and youth behind.

Brighton rock

The visual style and music run through this and American Beauty like the writing in a stick of Brighton rock, although the music was identical to both American Beauty and The Shawshank Redemption - and that annoyed me. The film's one major shoot-out scene is already legendary in my eyes, and is a moment I will watch over and over.

To be fair, this is one of the better films you will watch this year, although its pace and penchant for visual metaphors will not attract those who simply want to be entertained by gangsters and guns. For the most part, I enjoyed it but, while it avoided cliches on the gangster side of things, the story started off looking original yet offered very little by the end.

The Perdition of the title represents the place the anti-heroes aim to end up, and the redemption they hope to achieve there. It would have been a lot more fun if maybe they took I45 westbound. The Interstate to Vegas.

Rich
Sky Unit 2 Reception
For the benefit of others, please leave meeting rooms clean and tidy.
Thank you!