Road to Perdition, adapted from the graphic novel by David Self, directed by Sam Mendes, 9 out of 10

Road to Perdition, adapted from the graphic novel by David Self, directed by Sam Mendes

9 out of 10

Notes and thoughts on other books are available at:

-              https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEVa4_CsRStSBBDo4uJWT8BSWtTTn0N1E and   http://realini.blogspot.ro/

Road to Perdition is an exceptional film.

-          Why is it that it did not get more recognition?

-          I do not know

Tom Hanks has the leading role of Michael Sullivan and it is a tough challenge, a man with many sides, but he is very good in that position.

Paul Newman has a negative role, that of John Rooney, an Irish American mobster that controls an underworld empire.

Indeed, Paul Newman, excellent at his late stage in his outstanding, brilliant career- started with Somebody up There Likes Me, a role which he could take because Montgomery Clift wouldn’t-was nominated for

-          The Academy Award and the Golden Globe for his acting

Otherwise, I do not see why this motion picture did not go further than it did, even with a good Metascore of 72.

As for possible flaws, maybe Jude Law is somewhat over the top as the paid, lunatic assassin who follows Michael Sullivan.

To begin with, the relationship between Michael Sullivan and John Rooney is excellent, the former working as a hit man for the latter.

We can see trouble in paradise at a funeral, where Finn McGovern, one of the people under the control of the mobster is probably drunk and talks about his late brother and then starts to rebel against the boss.

So far, Michael Sullivan is like the son of the leader of this organized crime group and they even play the piano together…

Up to the night when he has to do some dirty work with the biological son of the don, Connor Rooney.

The latter is an impulsive, out of control, violent, stupid, psychopathic, gruesome, evil son of John Rooney.

He kills a man, without a reason, on impulse- just as he often acts- and the unlucky thing is that Michael Sullivan Jr. is a witness.

And this is where all hell breaks loose, in a manner of speaking, for the ruthless Connor, played by Daniel Craig is on the loose.

Wanting to make sure that there are no witnesses to his murder, he goes to the house of his associate.

He kills the wife and the son that he finds at home, with Michael Sullivan Jr. witnessing part of his new crime.

John Rooney is beating his son over the head for this, calling him all sorts of names and saying something like:

-          I curse the day when you were born- repeatedly and then embracing his son and resolving to help him

Which means that Mike Sullivan is now on the run and tries first to find some protection and support with Frank Nitti.

This character is played by the always excellent Stanley Tucci and he refuses to take the hit man on board.

What follows is a one man fight against a big, powerful organization that has money, man power and bankers working for it.

But Mike Sullivan figures out that he needs to take the mobsters money from the banks and he does that with efficiency.

Until they have a reaction and a man on his heels, Maguire, an individual who like to take photos of…dead people.

That says about all and the man is definitely sick, but the way Jude Law decided to portray him is still a bit farfetched.

There are some confrontations, from a restaurant along the road to Perdition, to a much more violent gun fight in a hotel.

This is an excellent motion picture, directed by Sam Mendes, the creator who gave us American Beauty, Revolutionary Road and other such masterpieces…