A Few Thoughts on "The Road"

“The Road,” based on the novel by Cormac McCarthy (“No Country for Old Men”), is a mixed bag. The film follows a Man (Viggo Mortensen) and his boy (Kodi Smit-McPhee) as they attempt to survive the aftermath of an apocalyptic event. But, don’t go in expecting “2012.” “The Road” is a much obscurer, less populist film than Roland Emerich’s latest disaster fest. However, surprisingly, the action sequences in the “The Road” work much better than the dramatic scenes. The themes of the morality of survival resonate better in moments of tense conflict, rather than in scenes of emotionally charged drama. And while Viggo Mortensen and Kodi Smit-McPhee work well with each other, the latter is far too whiney. The film also contains many flashbacks, which stall the narrative and try too hard to explain the Man’s current situation. These flashbacks not only rob the film of its universality, but also forces emotion on to scenes through overly sentimental music.

Thus, “The Road,” although beautifully filmed and quite ambitious, failed to resonate for me. I left the theater feeling dissatisfied.

C+

Have you seen “The Road?” Share your thoughts in the comments.

What's Left?: Cinema Soups' Most Anticipated Films for the Rest of 2009 (Part 2 of 2)

As the summer draws to a close, you may be wondering, "What's left?" No need to fear! Cinema Soup is doing the investigating for you. Check out part one of our preview here.

And now, without further ado, Part 2 of our Fall/Winter preview.

Let's start with "The Road." The film, based on the novel by Cormac McCarthy ("No Country for Old Men"), follows a man (Viggo Mortensen) and his son (Kodi Smitt-McPhee) as they seek refuge and try to survive in a post-apocalyptic future. What seems to be an emotional tale of survival has been marketed as an action-packed thriller in the film's trailer (see here). Having read a few chapters of the book, I know for sure that this trailer is misleading. "The Road" should have some thrilling moments, but - if it stays true to the book - it should be more about the father-son relationship. And Hollywood is notorious for marketing dramas as thrillers, because - apparently - audiences will not be interested in a movie unless it has three explosions per second. Anyway, the film's imagery looks stunning, Viggo Mortensen looks fantastic in his role, and the film on the whole looks incredibly intriguing. Let's hope "The Road" lives up to its promise when it opens on October 16th, 2009.

Speaking of dark subject matter, in this case a dark comedy, the trailer for the Coen Brothers next film "A Serious Man" looks great. This film was completely off my radar until now. Check out my full thoughts here.

Next up is "Shutter Island," the latest film from acclaimed director Martin Scorsese ("Goodfellas," "The Departed," "Taxi Driver," "Raging Bull"). "Shutter Island" follows U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) as he investigates the disappearance of a female patient from a mental hospital. As Teddy gets further enveloped in the case, he makes some shocking revelations about the establishment. It is best to leave the plot description there. Having not read the original novel, I do not know much more about the plot. However, I feel that the film's trailer may give away some crucial plot details. You can check out the trailer here, but I would suggest you stop watching after the one minute mark. Anyway, the film looks creepy, atmospheric, and suspenseful. Let's hope "Shutter Island" is another Scorsese gem when it hits theaters October 2nd, 2009.

And we will conclude with "The Lovely Bones," based on the best-selling novel by Alice Sebold. The film, directed by the great Peter Jackson ("The Lord of the Rings," "King Kong"), follows Susie Salmon, a young girl who is murdered, as she, from some sort of afterlife, watches her family cope with the tragedy of her death. The film's trailer shows off some stunning visuals, but I am mixed on the trailer as a whole. The trailer makes the movie seem tonally confused (is it a drama? thriller? fantasy?) and some of the acting looks so-so. However, the good certainly outweighs the bad. Saoirse Ronan, Susan Sarandon, and Stanley Tucci all look great in their respective roles, but, still, something just feels a little "off." Oh, well. You can't really judge a film by its trailer anyway. Here's hoping "The Lovely Bones" is lovely when it opens wide on December 11th, 2009.

Well, dear reader, what do you think? Do you disagree with my picks? Would you like to add your own? Leave your thoughts in the comments. And remember you don't have to be a member of Blogger to comment. Just use "Anonymous" or "Name/Url" in which the URL is optional. Thanks!