MOVIE - ROAD TO PERDITION - $$$$$ $$ (OUT OF 10)

STARRING TOM HANKS, PAUL NEWMAN, JUDE LAW, JENNIFER JASON LEE, STANLEY TUCCI, DANIEL CRAIG & TYLER HOECHLIN

Perdition is both a town, in the movie, and a reference to Hell. Tom Hanks plays a mob henchman who works for the local boss played by Paul Newman. They both have sons, one a good seed (that might turn bad) and one a bad seed that is beyond redemption. The story proceeds from there.

This movie is directed by Sam Mendes who also directed the Academy Award winning film American Beauty. Whereas, American Beauty exposed suburban family dysfunction, Perdition is a gang land tribute to family values. This juxtaposition, of the mob and the burden of proper child rearing, simultaneously propels and undermines the film. As a result, this movie will either delight or repulse, depending on your perspective. For many sons and fathers, this will be an uncomfortable journey down the memory lane of their own personal Perdition's.

Between the Godfather trilogy and the Soprano's the market, for insightful representations of mob life, has been cornered. There is nothing new in Perdition in this respect and fans of mobster movies may well be disappointed. The film will also disappoint the family values crowd with the amount of violence portrayed. The movie struggles mightily, but ultimately unsuccessfully, to resolve the conflict between the promotion of family values and the audience's ability to sympathize with mobsters. As Paul Newman's character, reminds us, "there are only murderers in this room..."

The difficulty, referred to above, even poses problems for the usually unflappable Tom Hanks. It's tough being a hit man who owes everything to the boss and a compassionate father at the same time. Hank's performance, was disconcerting, in the first half of the film. He doesn't seem entirely comfortable or convincing as a blindly loyal gunman for hire. It's only as his character travels the path from thug to father that the suit begins to fit properly.

On a more positive note, Jude Law (another hit man) and Daniel Craig (the bad son) give excellent performances. Hank's son, played by Tyler Hoechlin, looks like a star of the future. Paul Newman has all but sewn up the Best Supporting Actor Oscar and deservedly so. The cinematography, of Conrad L. Hall (American Beauty), is luscious. Scene after scene is enhanced with exquisite visualization.

There is just enough in Perdition, to provide moviegoers, if not the film's characters, with the highly coveted redemption we all seek.

Alternative Reviews:

http://www.suntimes.com/output/ebert1/wkp-news-road12f.html

http://www.rollingstone.com/mv_reviews/review.asp?mid=2044080

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/RoadtoPerdition-1114614/

Official Website:

http://www.roadtoperdition.com/

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