[!@#$%!]

Originally Posted by Severian

Road to Perdition was the next movie Sam Mendes made after the huge success of American Beauty. It was really hyped up, because the guy had just won all these Oscars, and people were excited about what he would do next. It got really good reviews but did not perform well at the box office, and was snubbed at award time.

It's a period piece about an Irish mob enforcer in the late-'20s/early-'30s whose son witnesses a hit and compromises the family's security. The guy has to make a decision... fight the family, give up his son, or bring his son into the bloody family business.

His choice ... well, it's not easy.

Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, Jude Law, Daniel Craig. A goddamn excellent and beautiful movie that was much more evolved and well thought-out and challenging than its predecessor. It's actually based on an obscure black and white graphic novel, but I didn't know that until after I saw it, and that's not why I like it.

American Beauty had its moments, but its depiction of teenagers was hilariously out of touch. No teenager has ever talked the way ANY of the teenagers in that movie spoke to one another. Except the teenagers who were literally acting IN that movie. I guess they talked that way, while on the clock.

It was too much. It doesn't hold up for me at all. Kevin Spacey is good, and his plot is interesting, but it takes some really pretentious side-roads and detours to Point-ville.

Road to Perdition is a masterclass. Everything is better. Down to the color palette and score.

there's a lot packaged here so i'll try to unwrap it

i didn't know road to perdition was a sam mendes thing. i'll try to watch it on that basis. i avoided it at the time because i couldn't stand tom hanks back then. now i do.

but trying to tout its merits by shitting on american beauty is kinda... it's not the most effective thing.

AB was a very good movie about midlife crisis. it wasn't really "about" teenagers, although teenagers are both characters in it and plot devices. annette benning was great in it, the marine dude chris something what's his name he was great in it. c.j. cregg as the braindead wife was great in it. everyone was great in it.

but anyway i don't know about this "no teenage ever" claim. maybe you never talked that way but... their dialogue wasn't an issue with me at all. i'd have to go look at old reviews and interviews and see who said what but i think it's the first time ever i hear this criticism (not saying it's false by virtue of that, just that i'd have to think about if this is true for me)

one could also say though "i've never heard a dead person tell their story." well sure. but that would be besides the point.

oh! lunchtime. gtg. will continue later