Review

The sins of the father needn't be visited upon the son, but as illustrated in director Mendes' brilliant follow-up to his award-winning American Beauty, there is an inordinately high price to insure such an outcome. This is, at least, what young Michael Sullivan, Jr. can deduce after the brutal series of events which he and his father experience in a Depression-era Midwest. Hanks is extraordinary as Michael Sr., a low-keyed though accomplished hit man for the Irish mob. More of a son to John Rooney (Newman in an outstanding portrayal), the local boss, than Rooney's own, troubled offspring Connor (Craig), Michael soon finds himself and his own son in peril when the boy witnesses a gangland execution. Thus begins Sullivan's travels to save his son and redeem himself in the process. Not an easy task, as Sullivan must match wits with an expert assassin (a terrific Law) hired to eliminate them both. Mendes has crafted a powerful story of loyalty, conflict and revenge, made all the more persuasive by an exceptional ensemble. The cast is in total synchronization with Mendes' measured pacing and superior evocation of the times, as the director finds harmony between a culture shaded by moral ambiguity and the footsteps that steer a society towards such a destination. Based on a "graphic novel" by Max Allan Collins and Richard Piers Rayner, Road to Perdition is smart, intense filmmaking, and reminds us that there can be more to a father's legacy than just wealth or wisdom -- sometimes it can be the gift of life itself.

 -- David Bleiler