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DOWN IN FRONT: Road to Perdition
No one has ever been more compelling or sympathetic behind the tommy gun than Tom Hanks who plays a 1930s hit man in “Road to Perdition.”
His eyes tell you that he does not want to pull the trigger, but the set of his jaw convinces you that he will. That is the basis of his outstanding
performance, which is a major departure from his usual nice-guy roles.
| DAN’S GRADE: A- A: MUST SEE B: WORTH WATCHING C: RENT IT D: POOR F: WICKED BAD |
Hanks plays Michael Sullivan, a devout Catholic, loving father and loyal servant of crime boss John Rooney (Paul Newman). The trouble starts for Sullivan when his son discovers what he does for a living. Soon Sullivan ends up on the run with his son, robbing banks and seeking revenge against the men he once served. Jude Law plays Harlen
‘The Reporter’ Maguire, a creepy fellow assassin posing as a newspaper
photographer hired to eliminate Sullivan.
It sounds exciting, but compared to the frantic pace of the other summer blockbusters out there, this movie seems to lumber along quite slowly.
It is also a bit of a downer for a summer audience to come in out of the sun and sit through so many rain-drenched scenes from
the winter of 1931. While the acting and the story are superb, I can’t help feeling that I would rather be watching this in October or November.
The only other problem is that we have all seen this type of movie before. Its themes of organized crime and fatherhood make it very similar to “The Godfather.” Many of the key moments, the ones meant to startle the audience,are very predictable. (Although, I should add that some of the people in the seats behind me did gasp in surprise at those moments).
When it comes to mafia movies there are two schools. There are fast-paced, funny crime films like “Good Fellas” and “Reservoir Dogs,” and there are long, slow, life-lesson films like “The Godfather.” “Road to Perdition” is a competent example of the latter. You just have to be in the mood for that sort of thing.