This has been the most anticipated film of the year for me after reading Cormac McCarthy's gripping book. Plus, when it was announced that the director, John Hillcoat, of The Proposition - a brutal, revisionist Australian Western would be helming the project, about two years ago, I thought he was an apt choice. And The Road the movie is pretty much true to the book. Viggo Mortensen's portrayal of the man who'd die for protecting his young son in a post apocalyptic world is touching- his gaunt, wrinkled face communicating more sorrow and sadness than thousand words. His meek narration is that of a person who'd given up hope long ago. The gray world where everything in nature (even the ocean) had died is completely hopeless. It's a bleak world. What's left of morality is measured by whether you would resort to cannibalism if you are starved. The Man has to keep reiterating to his son that they are the good guys.
Missing are the terse prose of McCarthy and sense of desperation. For a film version of the Road to work, it should have been absolutely brutal. I don't think all the background information in the narration was that necessary. For the emotional impacts, Hillcoat could've held shots a little longer to showcase those bleakest settings. The flashbacks with the wife (Charlize Theron) were adequate and not too schmaltzy. Is the boy meeting another family with father, mother, two young children and a dog negates the wife's decision to off herself? It made me think of what I'd do in that situation. The world is destroyed and has no future whatsoever. Her decision could be seen as quite rational.
My lady just pointed out that as much as we love Nick Cave, the music was too much, too saccharine. It would've been better without any music.
It's a perfect Holiday movie that makes your fuzzy and warm inside. Hahaha.
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