jauntie2 Review of Road to Perdition

Road to Perdition (2002)

If a gangster/crime movie can be described as "beautiful," this is it!

[23 February 2003]

I'm not partial to movies that are potential "downers" or have a favorite actor playing "the bad guy" or against type. However, friends wanted to see it, so I went...wondering how the portrayals by Tom Hanks and Paul Newman would affect me. As we walked out of the theater, the first thing I said was that it was a beautifully shot movie. I was deeply moved by the acting (especially that of Tom Hanks and Paul Newman)but was even more dazzled by the cinematography. When it came time for Oscar nominations, I feared the movie might be overlooked because of its release "early" in the year. I was actually thrilled to see the nomination for Best Cinematography and was happy for Newman's nomination in the Supporting Actor category. Am I the only person who was shocked by the omission of Tom Hanks from the nominations? Don't avoid seeing this movie because of its dark and, at times, violent nature. It is, indeed, beautiful.