Review of The Road (2009) by Keatonj. — 07 Jun 2010

The world has been destroyed by natural causes, and the few survivors that are left are mostly insane caravans of cannibals. Sound fun? Maybe for a video game, but the way The Road depicts it sure doesn't look like fun.

This movie is based on the novel of the same name by Cormac McCarthy, which I have never read, but if the book is as good as the movie, I'm down for a good reading period. The story follows two main characters as they try to survive in the treacherous wasteland, neither of which is ever named.

They are just called "Papa" and "Son". The mother/wife is only shown in series of flashbacks from before the natural disasters and at the very beginning. "Papa" is played by Viggo Mortensen, and it is an incredible performance.

Mortensen does an amazing job creating a father that will do anything to keep his son safe. He has to be tough on his son to teach him the harsh realities of this dangerous world. At the same time as this he deals with the loss of his wife.

I couldn't imagine a better performance. The kid is acted by Kodi Smit-McPhee, who also does an outstanding job. A very interesting side character also comes in part way through the movie who is acted by Robert Duvall.

The story is all together dark and dreary. This movie does not try and make the end of the world look all cool by using a sepia lens filter or slow motion killing. It shows a depressing, scary, and perilous world.

A terrifyingly real world. There are really no laughing moments in this movie. The faint of heart should stray away from this road, because they will find nothing to smile about until the end, and that only if the viewer looks hard enough.

I'm not going ruin the end for you guys, but I will tell you that it is beautiful. The Road is a tough film, but through all of the cannibalism and death, there is still a small glimmer of optimism seen through the life of a child and through the fact that even in times of severe suffering and distress, all hope is never lost.