Road to Perdition (2002)

Directed by Sam Mendes

the following contains spoilers.

WHAT I WAS EXPECTING
Tom Hanks thinks the world is going to the dogs so he decides to intervene in his son's life.

It was a dark and stormy night

REACTIONS:
I had no idea this film was about gangsters but I suppose given the premise I should have expected there to be a criminal aspect.

I'm often confused when watching gangster films, as it can sometimes be difficult to follow where characters' shifting loyalties lie, but not in this case. One of the benefits of telling the story from a child's point of view is that everything is implied simply and directly.

Great casting decision to have Tom Hanks and Paul Newman play the leads. Their likeability as actors goes a long way to humanize their dark-souled characters. It was interesting to see a pre-bond Daniel Craig in this, not yet enough of a star to get top billing but still playing a very important character.

I was almost fooled during the final scene at the beach that the story was going to have a much happier ending. Then I remember that Jude Law had been shown getting his face covered in glass shards. There was no way something like that was going to be set up without a reveal of Jude Law's disfigured face in a final showdown.

The violence was well handled. Mendes knew which moments to show restraint (he knew we didn't need to see the corpses of Hank's family) and also when to show all out gangster fights.

Loved the cinematography  Lots of noire-y goodness: the shadows, the rain, and the characters' silhouettes with their coats and hats. This movie is drenched in atmosphere.

The cast is drenched, period.