SPOILERS…...

I wanted to go see Avatar, but decided I didn't want to battle the crowds for that one so I decided to see The Road instead. Completely different film for sure, but excellent none the less.

This film takes place in a post apocalyptic world. Unless I missed something, we never really find out exactly what happened, but whatever it was it destroyed everything. There are no animals (except for one dog), no insects, no plants. Everything is dead. It is a VERY bleak landscape. It felt and looked real. I could easily believe that's what the world would be like.

Viggo Mortensen is the father to his 11 year old son and husband to Charlize Theron. Very unattractive role for her IMO. The story starts after she commits suicide so her role is very brief too. Her character decides to commit suicide rather than dying a slow death due to starvation and the possibility of being raped. So the story is about Viggo and his son trying to survive.  Winter is coming and they try to go to the coast and then South. On their way to the coast they do encounter some characters and scenarios that are truly frightening. Why? Again, because it feels like this could be real. In this world where there is no food, the few people that are left have turn pretty nasty and cannibalism is rampant. Sure we've seen cannibalism in many movies before, but the difference to me was that no one did it for some disturbing psychological reason. This is all about survival. There was a particularly gruesome scene that I was not ready for and it took place in a nice Southern style house. You know, white columns and all. Everything looks promising when they first arrive, but in the cellar they find something really shocking and disturbing.

Viggo and his son (sorry I can't remember his name) have a gun, but only two bullets. One each for  them…Viggo teaches his son how to use it when the time comes.

When they finally make it to the coast, it's as bleak as the rest of the world. Viggo has a map that they've been using. He tell his son that the water is blue just like on the map, but there are no colors in this movie. Viggo dies from starvation and an injury to his leg right there on the beach. It's a very hard time for the son and we know this can't end well. He does hook up with another family, but it still feels like there can't be anything good in the future here.

Anyway, I suck at reviews, but I would definitely recommend this one. It is a drama, but a very good one.

:)

  

This was brilliant. Currently my #5 film this year but it'll probably get bumped after I see Antichrist and a couple others I missed. I was going to write a review for this but my reviews take a long time to write and not a lot of people comment on them.

A very dark film indeed. The thief scene was one of the most gut-wrenching I've ever seen in any film and there was no gore or violence in it of any kind. The cannibal scenes were also pretty gnarly. The look of the film is the closest I've seen yet to what I think a post-apocalyptic world would actually look like. Overall, way darker than No Country For Old Men and yet it had a heart that NCFOM didn't. It "carried the fire" as they said. No Country was all drug dealers, lowlifes and Anton Chigurh.

The biggest surprise was Viggo Mortensen. He was good in LOTR and Cronenberg's films but I never saw him as a stand-out actor. Here though, he was AMAZING. Probably this year's Mickie Rourke. I imagine this was a very VERY hard role (for any actor) but Mortensen just made it so believable. Lotta "man-tear" moments in this one.

Biggest disappointment was Guy Pearce. He's a fabulous actor and yet was barely in the film for five minutes. What a waste!

Otherwise, a really, REALLY emotional and powerful film. Seriously. Look out for Viggo at the Academy Awards.

James,

I agree the scene with the robber, when they strip him of everything was VERY powerful. You know there's just no way that he could survive left like that.

You write great reviews btw and I usually read them. I guess I should say something in those threads so you know at least someone read it.

Keep it up!

Btw, I should have some comments for you tomorrow.  :)

i read this book recently and watched a movie trailer. It looks like they haven't tampered with the novel too much, if at all.
The wife scenes are told in flashback and I wondered why cast a big name actress like CT if she's not in it for long.
Is Guy Pearce the robber? I'm not gonna see the film so it don't matter.

The book was pretty good but could've been cut by about 20 pages. Some of the flowery descriptions and actual writing style was on the nose.
I might read NCFOLM, haven't seen the film.

Just saw this and was quite impressed.  I've read Blood Meridian by McCarthy, so I know this guy writes like no one else.  In this story he took what could have been a standard post apocalyptic wanderer movie and elevated it to something almost poetic.

The production was very well done and convincing.  Those scenes of endless telephone poles standing askew were powerful.  I like how the director avoided some drawn out explanation of the apocalypse and focused squarely on the journey of Viggo and son.  The cannibal house.  Yes, Pia that was something.  It was directed so matter of factly and that only added to the shock.  I found myself thinking back to that scene as the movie went on.

I'm glad James mentioned Guy Pearce.  I had no clue that was him.  Almost unrecognizable with those teeth.  The ending was actually more positive than I thought it would be.  But, I suppose it was fitting.

Can't say I agre, guys and gals.  I've tried to watch this 3 times now...each time waking up at the very end.  What I do remember did not impress me in any way.

I found this to be extremely dull, slow, and plodding.  Visuals were almost non existant.  Nothign seemed real to me. Nothing seemed unique or even interesting.

I was looking forward to this for some time, but won't be giong back for a fourth try.  3 strikes and you're out!