The Red and Black

Issue date: 7/18/02 Section: Variety

In director Mendes' "Road to Perdition," Tom Hanks portrays a hitman, a role unlike the ones of his previous films. (Special • The Red & Black) [Click to enlarge]

If the road to perdition is long and winding, then this movie was aptly named.

"American Beauty" director Sam Mendes and composer Thomas Newman team up again to create the often mesmerizing, yet sleepy "Road to Perdition" -- seemingly setting this movie up to be a sure-fire hit.

And to some degree, it was.

Tom Hanks takes on a surprising role as a hired hitman for the loving and devious John Rooney played by Paul Newman.

With an ever-present scowl on his face that always seems to accompany his more serious roles, Hanks manages to produce a largely believable character.

Pretty-boy Jude Law was my personal favorite in this movie as the sicko sent to kill Hanks and his son.

Much like Hanks, Law takes on a largely uncharacteristic role and makes it work to his advantage.

The last solid performance comes in the obvious form of Newman.

Managing to bring a great deal of humanity to his role, Newman captivates in nearly every scene he's in.

ROAD TO PERDITION Starring: Tom Hanks, Paul Newman and Jude Law. Playing at: Carmike 12 and Beechwood Grade: B- Lowdown: Tom Hanks gets to wear cool suits, cooler hats, and knock off people for the mob. Cool, huh?

While three solid performances may seem to be enough to save a movie, much of the movie drags its feet unnecessarily.

The movie opens with a boy telling the audience about a man named Michael Sullivan in a voice-over sequence reminiscent of the intro to "American Beauty."

From there, the movie slowly picks up speed -- very slowly.

Of course, the extreme lack of excitement is occasionally broken with sudden bursts of violence.

To the credit of Mendes and cinematographer Conrad Hall, the sheer beauty they imbue this movie with somehow redeems it.

While the script was somewhat predictable at times, Mendes manages to take an otherwise typical scene and make it spellbinding.

The only problem is that many of the effective scenes are crammed into the end of the movie, making the final 20 minutes phenomenal.

"Road to Perdition" definitely has the visual nuances and acting performances that I was hoping to see in a Sam Mendes movie.

By the end of the movie, it became apparent that Mendes fancies movies with flawed fathers and consequential emotional trauma.

Much like Tom Hanks' character, "Road to Perdition" proves itself to be a redeemable movie regardless of its flaws.

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