The Road to Perdition (2002)

Tom Hanks proves his worth as an actor once again in The Road to Perdition. This guy just keeps turning out quality work. With the notable exceptions of You've Got Mail in Seattle and Sleepless on AOL, along with Joe vs. the Volcano, he's pretty much owned the 90's and sits poised to continue his dominance into the new millenium.

Perdition finds Hanks as Mike Sullivan, bodyguard to John Rooney (Paul Newman), a regional manager for the Capone Empire. Mike is as loyal and trustworthy as any employee could ever hope to be; more so in fact, because of his love for Rooney and all he's done for the Sullivan family. Rooney in turn looks upon Mike even more favorably than his own son Connor, a ruthless and unstable headcase.

Things get complicated, however, when Mike's son witnesses a murder at the hands of Sullivan and Connor. Despite pledges of silence, Connor attempts to seal the secret six feet underground, sending Mike and son on the road in search of asylum and revenge. The conflict leaves Rooney in the difficult predicament of choosing between his own son and the son he wished he had.

As I mentioned, the acting is superb all around, even the child actor playing Mike Jr. was solid. The cinematography is excellent, and the colors lend a very antique noir feel to the film.

I thought the story could use some work. It was based on a graphic novel and revolved around some rather predictable elements. Plotwise, nothing here is going to blow you away. But if looked at from the standpoint of a character study-- focusing primarily on Sullivan and Rooney-- it can be quite fulfilling.

Claims have been made that The Road to Perdition is the best crime drama since The Godfather, but I think that's a bit of a stretch. Even so, it's an excellent showcase of terrific acting and a pretty solid period piece. An admirable sophomore effort from Sam Mendes, director of American Beauty.