Hey, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab.
A friend, a damn fine screenwriter I respect a lot, called me up to yell at me the other day about ROAD TO PERDITION. “Oh, sure, it’s well-made,” he said, “but it’s about FUCKING NOTHING!!” I’ve heard some other people who are equally underwhelmed by this new effort from Sam Mendes. I think Harry’s going to have his take on things up online later this afternoon.
For now, though, let me balance my own enthusiasm for the film with this less-than-glowing reaction:
Is Sam Mendes latest effort a good movie? Yes.
Is Sam Mendes latest effort predictably tragic? Without question, yes.
Will Road to Perdition be nominated for many, many gold swordsmen? Oh, you're god damn right it will be.
And therein lies the problem. I'm having trouble deciding what I think about this film. Sure, it was an entertaining film, full of good performances, but that's about all it was. When I walked into the theatre, what I was looking for was transcendence. The type of transcendence I felt after American Beauty. People have been comparing Perdition to The Godfather for christsakes. Well, this film ain't transcending shit. It's actually standard and predictable. Ouch.
So then...
The script: Very nice, moves along, but offered few suprises both in the emotion it portrayed and the story it told.
The direction: Had some really good moments, but didn't feel like a fluid piece of storytelling. And that ending. Let me be the first to say, "Fuck you Sam!" Next stop, Manipulation Junction. I didn't think I was going to visit that part of the film world when I was watching this movie, but there I was.
The look:
I think Conrad Hall turned 125 last month, but his work is fucking incredible. Somebody get this guy another lifetime achievement award.
The acting:
Most notable is Hanks' weary mobster, Michael Sullivan. But don't think for a moment that he's playing a bad guy. Sure, he kills people, but we know that it's not his fault. It's just his job. He has to do it, an obligation of sorts. So when everybody says that Hanks is playing against type, well, he's not. This is just a variation on his role in The Green Mile, without the Bama accent. Michael Sullivan Jr. AKA, the kid who screws everything up. Maybe the part was underwritten, but I didn't really identify or care about this kid at all. Maybe that's why I have so much ambivalence about this film. Hmmmm.
Newman was a fucking rock star in this, although I've almost seen his grizzled old man bit one too many times. Almost.
Jude Law. I do believe he's the next Olivier. Keep on truckin. You're assured a nomination.
And everybody else. Yeah, they did their parts. Hoorah.
So the question remains, is Road To Perdition this year's version of tapioca pudding? You know, you're really excited when you first start eating it because, hey, this is new...but wait! This is just souped up vanilla pudding with some squishy little balls in it. Fuck this stuff.
And there you have it. Go see it, but don't expect a religious experience.
This too shall pass,
-DJ Crystal Pepsi
