Sunday, December 06, 2009

The Road



If you've read the book, skip the film. The book, by Cormac McCarthy, was a bleak but absorbing story of a father and son trying to survive in a post apocalyptic America. As written by Mr. McCarthy, one could envision the story unfolding on the screen in his cinematic prose. The film recreates the story but just can't convey the bond between father and son with the same depth.

Viggo Mortensen is excellent as "Poppa", a man pushed to the brink, to keep his son alive. His acting with Kodi Smit-McPhee, as the son, is convincing enough but again can't reach the emotion and conviction of the book.

Robert Duvall, Garret Dillahunt, and Michael kenneth Williams all have very minor roles as people met along "The Road". Charlize Theron, also has what amounts to a cameo as Mr. Mortensen's wife (seen only in flashbacks).

The film is dark and bleak, true to it's source, as it follows the father and son on their journey across a barren and hostile wasteland. There is little in the way of hope and it is an unrelenting 90 minutes. If this storyline intrigues you, read the book instead for a more fulfilling experience.

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