Roll-M - Movie Reviews

by Susan Sackett

Road to Perdition (starring Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, Jude Law, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Stanley Tucci, Tyler Hoechlin; screenplay by David Self; directed by Sam Mendes; Rated R for violence and language)

Stunningly directed by Sam Mendes (American Beauty), Road to Perdition is well on the road to Oscar®.  Family values take on a new meaning in this moody story of Prohibition and Irish gangs laced with themes of loyalty and father-son relationships.

Tom Hanks stars as Michael Sullivan, a mob underling whose surrogate father/godfather is John Rooney (Paul Newman).  When Sullivan’s young son inadvertently discovers what his dad does for a living (hint: he won’t be the envy of his class on “take your sons to work day”), Rooney’s errant biological son wipes out half of Sullivan’s family, Sullivan and son (adeptly played by young Tyler Hoechlin) must flee for their lives. It is on this rocky road to hells known and unknown that their bonding unfolds, while the Sullivan-Rooney godfather-son relationship fragments like so much windshield glass.

The plot isn’t very complicated – stay one step ahead of the bad guys…oh wait, they’re all bad guys. This is character-driven drama at its best.  In addition, Mendes has lavished each scene with a brilliant eye for detail, unusual angles, incredible lighting, innovative use of sound (or lack thereof, as in one of the final shootout sequences) numerous other directing techniques and outstanding production values that should have his dance card filled up for the next few decades or so.

Hanks’ lead character isn’t warm and fuzzy; his one redeeming quality is his infusion with a moral imperative to prevent his son from following in his footsteps.  It was a bold step for the two-time Oscar®-winner to take on the role of Sullivan père, and Hanks should think about clearing a space on the mantle come next awards season.  Add to that a probable Best Supporting Actor nomination for Newman, and possibly even Jude Law, for his offbeat portrayal of a photographer/hit man, and this film comes up a winner in all categories.

Rating 5 / 5 Owls

Lilo & Stitch (starring the voices of Daveigh Chase, Christopher Michael Sanders, Tia Carrere, David Ogden Stiers; written and directed by Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois; Rated PG)     The best animated film of the summer, Walt Disney Productions’ Lilo & Stitch is a throwback to the old-style hand-drawn ink-and-paint cartoons of vintage Disney.  This movie is a delight for many reason, not the least of which is its sense of humor and ability to poke fun at just about everything.  There’s a simple storyline about an ET-ish creation gone wrong – the “experiment” flees to Earth and is adopted by Lilo, a lonely Hawaiian girl who thinks he’s a dog and names him Stitch. The two outcasts quickly bond and begin a series of misadventures that will have young and old alike in, er, stitches. An added bonus is the clever soundtrack packed with numerous Elvis tunes, woven into the story.     The movie clocks in at just under 85 minutes, short enough to keep the young ’uns enthralled and just long enough for adults.  The only disappointment was the lack of “outtakes” which some recent animated features have had.  Perhaps there will be some additional footage when Lilo & Stitch goes to DVD, a day I look forward to eagerly.  And don’t be surprised if there are direct-to-video (or -DVD) sequels – Disney is noted for doing this with some of their recent animated hits like Aladdin and The Little Mermaid.

Rating 4 ½ / 5 Owls are out of five possible