Headlines
The Review Online
Review: "The Road"
15th March 2010
John Hillcoat’s adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s post-apocalyptic drama has graced the cinemas of Britain this week update this as now out of date. The film tells the intimate story of a father and son struggling through the chaos of a barren America.
The film has taken upon a very grey look that conforms with the depressing themes explored. It was mainly shot in the ruins of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. This captures the emptiness of the landscape and supplies a great platform for the story to unfold. In the film the world is quickly running out of food. The “bad guys” in the film, resort to cannibalism. This causes the father and son to run into some testing situations on their way to America’s coastline. The father in the film is understandably protective of his son as there is so much evil in the world. The son on the other hand, is just as worried about his father, and is terrified that he will begin to shut out the little good that is left. It is the faith the son has in humanity that provides the hope and joy that the film contains.
It is never revealed to the audience the names of the two lead characters or even the cause of the apocalypse, but I never found myself asking these questions as the film was terribly engrossing. The biggest compliment I can think to say is that I really cared about what happened to these characters.
The bleak and foreboding outlook on the world that the film presents does not take away the enjoyment found in the two main performances from Viggo Mortensen and Kodi Smit-Mcphee. It was so important for these two actors to capture the love and loyalty between a father and son. I feel that Mortensen will be rewarded with multiple award nominations and Kodi Smit-Mcphee is bound to be a bright star of the future.
Overall, I feel that The Road has set a benchmark for all other movies brought out this year. My main fear with the film is that people going to the cinema will be put off by the horribly harrowing content. It does not have the highest profile directors and stars to carry it through this problem. However, when people go to this film they will be taken aback, and word of mouth will spread. Go and see this film. It will act on your emotions and give you a brilliant cinema experience.