ROAD TO PERDITION (2002)  **1/2

Reviewed 7/12/02

This is Sam Mendes’ second movie after his first, Oscar winner AMERICAN BEAUTY, to find itself bigger than its britches.   Still, overreaching ambition is better than resting on laurels or turning to hackwork, especially when such overreaching is carried out with as much style as ROAD TO PERDITION is.

Based on the graphic novel of the same title by Max Allan Collins, ROAD TO PERDITION is told from the point of view of 12-year old Michael Sullivan, Jr. (Tyler Hoechlin) in 1931.  He knows his father (Tom Hanks) works for John Rooney (Paul Newman), the big shot in their town near Chicago, but he doesn’t know what his father’s actual job is.  Trying to find out, Jr. stows away in their car one night as his father goes out on business.  He discovers his father is the right-hand heavy for Rooney, lead gangster of an Irish mob, and regular hits are part of the job.  John Rooney’s hot-headed son, Connor (Daniel Craig), is jealous of his father’s intimate relationship with Michael, Sr., whom John practically sees as a second son while John berates Connor constantly.  Connor knows Jr. saw him and his father commit a hit, and he uses that as an excuse to kill off the entire Sullivan family.  He only gets Michael’s wife (Jennifer Jason Leigh) and youngest son (Liam Aiken).  Michael, Sr. with Jr. in tow goes out for revenge.

The first thing one might notice about ROAD TO PERDITION is that Tom Hanks as a hitman appears to be playing against type.   His usual persona is the decent, honest, noble everyman.  His hitman here may not be completely decent, but he remains honest and noble, a thirst for vengeance notwithstanding.  The character as written is not altogether believable, but it’s not Hanks’ fault; he is quite adequate for the role and he does a good job holding back many of his usual mannerisms.   Still, Hanks looks downright stuffy next to Newman, who comfortably owns his part and plays it with great assurance.  Daniel Craig’s sunken eyes and pointy cheek bones give him a fittingly ghoulish look as Connor, who is an otherwise too familiar character.   Jude Law, sporting receding hair and yellow-stained teeth, is subtly disturbing as Maguire, a hitman assigned to take down Sullivan, and Stanley Tucci displays a nice professional sheen as another mobster.

Mendes’ direction is remarkable for a sophomore effort and the film has several memorable shots – Connor adjusting his hat in the reflection of a window and thus failing to see his intended victim through it; the reflection of skyscrapers over Michael, Jr.’s face as he enters Chicago; a machine gun flashing in the dark on a silent soundtrack.  Mendes is aided by veteran cinematographer Conrad Hall whose canvas of browns and blues supply a strong Depression era feel.

Ultimately however, PERDITION’s tone is simply too solemn to support what is essentially pulp material.  The movie has the same basic premise as the Japanese LONE WOLF AND CUB movies from the 1970s and those were played much more tongue in cheek.  The action here feels so calculated, all emotion is stifled.   The film only breathes when Newman, Law, or Tucci are on screen.  PERDITION has an admirable message about ending the cycle of violence, but it too is finally too pat because the audience is given its catharsis first.  It’s easy to stop killing after all once there is no one left to kill.