Road To Perdition (DVD)

...Beauty and this 2002 follow-up, Road To Perdition. Although follow-up isn't really the right term, as this is completely different. I was surprised to find that this did not win any major Oscars, although it was nominated for about six, because it really is a brilliant film. I was also surprised that for such a great film, it was not advertised very well; I didn't really know anything about this film before I saw it, and I bet lots of people don't ...
...The story tells of a hit man for the Irish mafia, Mike Sullivan (played by Tom Hanks). He and his two sons have a close relationship with the godfather John Rooney (played by Paul Newman). Sullivan keeps his job a secret from his children, but when his son Michael (Tyler Hoechlin) follows him and witnesses the murder of a rival (Ciaran Hinds, from tv show Rome), he is forced to explain. Things get further complicated when Rooney's son, Connor (Daniel ...

l-m-n-o-p 28.11.2005 · Read full review
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Review of Road To Perdition (DVD)

...Sullivan's to flee on the road to Perdition - followed by Jude Law's eerie assassin and photographer Harlen Maguire. From the moment the film opens you can tell that this has come from the director of 'American Beauty'. Both the cinematography and the score are evocative of the film, although the subject matter is refreshingly different. As well they might be when both the cinematographer and the composer are reunited with Mendes in this film. Both ...
...lead him up a similar road to his own. His performance is restrained as he struggles with emotions connected with his wife and son's death and his, at times, strained relationship with his remaining son, who desperately seeks his father's approval. Complementing Hanks is the young Tyler Hoechlin whose performance is also quite restrained. His response to his mother's death contains many similarities with his father's. Hoechlin manages to bring contradictions ...

ickkate 13.06.2003 · Read full review
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Review of Road To Perdition (DVD)

This is not a Tom Hanks movie. If any of you have ever been put off by his presence in a film before, then cast that bias aside. This will change your opinion of the man completely, and you will be humming his praises as well as everything else about the flick. Tom Hanks plays a minor gangster, Michael Sullivan, in the US at the dawn of the 1930s. Now, none of us I am sure would have thought of casting him in such a role, unless one were deliberately ...
...of grand-standing is knocked on the head, leaving a decent, assured performance. In appearance, he looks a lot bulkier than normal. Brilliantly, his dodgy moustache makes him look suitably macho at the beginning of the film, and immediately vulnerable when the time arises. And even more surprisingly, when he needs to be a quick-draw gunner, it looks right, and convincing. The problems have started for his character long before the film begins. ...

theediscerning 20.09.2002 · Read full review
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Review of Road To Perdition (DVD)

...more. In summary, Road To Perdition is a good, decently directed movie. Excellent in parts, annoyingly wanton of more fat to chew in others. I have not seen American Beauty yet, but if Sam Mendes truly created a masterpiece with that film, then I left the theatre wondering what all the fuss was about, and why he took so long after his initial directorial debut to come up with a secondary offering. Some critic called this the movie of 2002, I beg ...

kleft 28.09.2002 (29.09.2002) · Read full review
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Review of Road To Perdition (DVD)

...pretty impressive credentials involved with Road To Perdition and I have to admit that the premise interested me but was dampened by some trailers and TV adverts that seemed to have the prestige saccherine feel to them. However these adverts pushed the prestige of the film and once you've seen it then I think you'll agree that it lives up to all the promise it gives. Based on a graphic novel, Road To Perdition tells the story of Micheal Sullivan ...
...Rooney (Paul Newman) and also like a son to the old man. Sullivan's job is a mystery to his two boys and the eldest Micheal Jr has a fascination with what his father does for a living. This fascination leads to being in the wrong place at the wrong time and soon Micheal and his son find themselves on the run as their family members are murdered to protect Rooney's empire. Sullivan plans to take vengeance by taking on the crime bosses of Chicago but ...

utero 21.10.2002 · Read full review
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Review of Road To Perdition (DVD)

...underbelly of middle-class suburban America. Road to Perdition takes a leaf from a very similar book both in style and presentation. The good news is that an already successful formula works a very worthy magic in a truly majestic piece of film-making of the highest calibre. ------------------------------------------------------ Principal Cast: Tom Hanks .... Michael Sullivan Paul Newman .... John Rooney Jude Law .... Harlen Maguire Jennifer ...
...of the story. Whilst the road to Perdition is intended to be the physical route taken by the Sullivans to deliver Michael junior into the safe hands of his aunt, the parallel on a different level is drawn out by the desperation of a father to stop his son taking a similar path to what appears to be an inferred hell (hence another ambiguos title a la American Beauty). Religious undertones abound as the Irish John Rooney struggles with the nature of ...

Marandina 05.05.2003 (11.05.2003) · Read full review
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Review of Road To Perdition (DVD)

...Hanks and his moustache aside, Road To Perdition is a perfectly enjoyable and entertaining little film but lacks the violence to be a gangster classic, and the characters to be a particularly memorable film. It may be unfair to instantly compare it to classic films, but if a film is to have any lasting effect on an audience, then it has to have a character, a scene, a fantastic script… anything to distinguish it or make it stick in the memory. Reservoir ...
...loved has a special ingredient, Road To Perdition has only Paul Newman to make it memorable and lacks in every other department. It’s not a bad film and is worth seeing, but it won’t leave an image seared into your memory and it won’t make you wish you were a gangster the way all good movies do. It has its moments that are impressive and exciting, but ultimately Road To Perdition is nothing more than some stolen scenes and personas, stuck together ...

willgould 20.09.2002 · Read full review
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Review of Road To Perdition (DVD)

...chosen to write about The Road To Perdition. It’s just that I’ve been reminded that I haven’t written for pleasure for quite a while. This film constitutes director, Sam Mendes’ next big break into US films, his first being the soar-away success, American Beauty which I really loved, although if I’m honest, anything with Kevin Spacey in it is “OK” by me, and that’s a slight understatement! Top billing goes to Tom Hanks, Paul Newman and Jude Law. ...
...(I presumed in Boston, as Chicago and New York would probably have been the “turf” of the Italians – I don’t remember actually picking up on where it was strangely enough – put me right someone). Hanks plays his top “fixer” having been treated like Newman’s son all his life – this of course does not go down well with his real son, played by British actor, Daniel Craig (Moll Flanders, Elizabeth, Lara Croft). The plot is not a complicated one, so ...

Roodles 01.10.2002 · Read full review
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Review of Road To Perdition (DVD)

...son from following the same road in life (after accidentally witnessing one of his father's kills). All story developments serve this 'highly moral' message. This much is pretty clear all the way. Yet, at the very end, the script has to actually spell it out for you because -hey!- the main American audience must be able to get it! It's in a sense offensive to realise that the movie makers take all audiences (worldwide, that is) to be as dumb as their ...
...a result which, in the end, manages to spoil much of the movie's atmosphere. A shame, really! I could provide other examples as well (including one of clear scene discontinuity which - helloooo! - looks pretty amateurish at the end of the film), but I hope you'll want to go and see this film for its story, characters and performances. And this is why I'm giving this film 4 stars. ...

C_C_Ryder 28.09.2002 · Read full review
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Review of Road To Perdition (DVD)

...pursuit. Will they end the Road To Perdition alive and together? The plot is gripping, majestic, powerful and unpredictable. The action is heroic and spectacular-the conclusion sad. Paul Newman plays an important role as the mobs ‘leader’. Jude Law plays the callous and eerie killer to perfection. Jennifer Jason Leigh plays the wife of Michael Sullivan, giving a respectable, if brief performance. And Tyler Hoechin’s debut, as Michael Jnr, is a stunning ...
...amazing the audience. Road To Perdition is a stunning film. You will laugh, you will cry, you will jump- you will love Road To Perdition. ~NOTE ON DVD VERSION~ The DVD version of the film features special bonus material. You have the opportunity to view deleted scenes, with commentary explaining the reason as to why it was not included in the final, completed motion picture. The making of Road To Perdition provides an interesting insight into the ...

ScottyG 14.11.2003 · Read full review
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Review of Road To Perdition (DVD)

Many people think Sam Mendes's first movie American Beauty was his best as it won all the oscars including Best Director for himself. But I disagree. The story is about Michael Sullivan (Tom Hanks), a lifelong gangster who is on the run with his son with a sadistic hitman (Jude Law) on hot pursuit. John Rooney (Paul Newman) has got the very thing he wants but Nitti (Stanley Tucci) is heading the operation. The film also stars Daniel Craig, Jeniffer ...
...actors (Tom Hanks and oscar -nominated Paul Newman) lead the all-star cast but in my personal opinion Jude Law gave the best performance as the clever, sly, sadisitc hitman Maguire. It's good to see him in a role where he does not play one of his type-cast characters from a chick-flick. Paul Newman deserved his oscar nomination as John Rooney, a father-like figure to Michael. Tom Hanks is good as always, the brilliant way his character could not ...

mr_smith 31.01.2007 · Read full review
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Review of Road To Perdition (DVD)

Road To Perdition was a film that I had been looking forward to tremendously and I approached it hoping to be amazed. Berkshire born Sam Mendes had proved himself an extremely competent director with 1999’s American Beauty. However here, working with David Self’s rather one-dimensional screenplay, he is way short of his own mark. The film feels stretched at almost two hours, consequently, the pacing is pedestrian at best and there is also a disturbing ...
...so many critics have praised Road To Perdition endlessly should you recieve it as a gift it’ll still make an excellent trophy DVD, superficially giving almost any collection enhanced respectability. If anyone asks you about Road To Perdition, knowingly mention Conrad Hall’s stunning cinematography and how it’s the new Godfather. As long as you don’t accidentally let them watch it, you’ll be fine. Buy it ? not worth the £16.99 lowest price listed ...

Kevin_Stanley 12.03.2004 · Read full review
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Review of Road To Perdition (DVD)

Come on, the man danced on an electric piano in "Big"! Are we supposed to believe he's a cold-hearted killer just because he's put on a few pounds and grown a 'tash! Purllease! I'm not really sure what I was expecting of this. I went to a free preview (courtesy of the Metro Newspaper) and so there weren't any reviews to read before I went, although the reviews I did read after the event didn't seem to be talking about the same film... They raved ...
...about Oscars, I wasn't particularly impressed. The story, set around Chicago during the depression, concentrates on Michael Sullivan (Hanks), an American-Irish gangster, his son, also called Michael, and his relationship with his pseudo-father and mob boss John Rooney (Newman). Jude Law pops up as a vile and seedy photographer come hitman, and never have I seen him looking less attractive. Jennifer Jason-Leigh makes a short appearance as Annie Sullivan. ...

xadoc 26.11.2002 (02.12.2002) · Read full review
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Review of Road To Perdition (DVD)

One of the greatest gangster films out there. Has a a unique storyline, and will leave anyone and everyone clinging to the edge of their seats. The cast are perfect, and the outcome is unexpected. All in all, an amazing film. ...

imanyo 15.06.2007
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Review of Road To Perdition (DVD)

...at the end of my road I never even thought about seeing it. Billboards never seem to reflect a film like they could, or maybe I'm just picky. My point IS that I thought this film would be slow, boring and a waste of money. But you can never judge a film by its billboard. The film centres around a family man who works for the mob, the leader being Paul Newman who took Tom under his wing many years ago. Tom's sons begin to wonder what he actually ...
...belt. Both American Beauty and Road to Perdition are original pieces of work. Mendes is another up and coming director, one to help the future of film and to expand the genres in the cinema. Anyway, I was quite pleased with the film. Can be said to be similar to godfather but it isn't really. Just the gangster theme combining the both. A brutal end to the film, leaving the watcher torn between feeling happy and sad. A unique and well photographed ...

craiga2001 27.10.2002 · Read full review
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Review of Road To Perdition (DVD)