The Road

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The Road

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The Road

Viggo Mortensen, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Charlize Theron, Guy Pearce, Garret Dillahunt

From Cormac McCarthy, author of NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, comes the highly anticipated big screen adaptation of the beloved, best-selling and Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, THE ROAD. Academy Award-nomin...( read more  read more... )ee Viggo Mortensen leads an all-star cast featuring Charlize Theron, Robert Duvall, Guy Pearce and young newcomer Kodi Smit-McPhee in this epic post-apocalyptic tale of the survival of a father (Mortsensen) and his young son (Smit-McPhee) as they journey across a barren America that was destroyed by a mysterious cataclysm. A masterpiece adventure, THE ROAD boldly imagines a future in which men are pushed to the worst and the best that they are capable of—a future in which a father and his son are sustained by love.

Id: 11063602

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The Road Recent Reviews
  • ceWEBrity
    December 9, 2009
    ceWEBrity
    This is such a pedestrian thing to say, but God, the book was so much better.

    More later
  • YLOWBSTARDreturns
    December 8, 2009
    YLOWBSTARDreturns
    * Thoughts in a bit
  • hobster1
    December 4, 2009
    hobster1
    Bleak, depressing road movie based on the Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Cormac McCarthy about survivors of the apocalypse . With only the slightest hair of a story, this film is a fascinating study of the strong bond between a father and son. Actors Viggo Mortensen and Kodi S...( read more)mit-McPhee who play the central pair, are compelling and elevate what could have just been just a variation of 28 Days Later. The pacing can be extremely lethargic at times, but for those who are willing to be drawn in by the hypnotic gloom of this post apocalyptic world, the rewards are substantial.
  • RCCLBC
    November 30, 2009
    RCCLBC
    The thinking man/woman's post-apocalyptic film.
    While the biological, geological and structural devestation is ever present and ominous, the film focuses mainly on the deeper horror of such an event; the social, psychological and physical deterioration of society,
    This film is ...( read more)Intense, bleak and at times horrific. But always deeply thought provoking and very complex to spite it's simplicity.
    WIth the exception of Mortensen and Smith-McPhee, screen time is minimal for the rest of the cast. But everyone does a really good job with the time that they have and over all the acting is pretty amazing.
    One of those films that you will think (and talk) about for awhile after seeing it.
  • DrZeek
    November 28, 2009
    DrZeek
    The Boy: How many people do you think are still alive?
    The Man: In the world? Not very many.

    Based on a great novel from author Cormac McCarthy, this is a bleak tale about a father and son making there way through an abandoned world. Director John Hilcoat and screenwriter Jo...( read more)e Penhall do great justice to the novel, bringing this dark tale to life, which is certainly benefited by the strong performances, headlined by Viggo Mortensen.

    The Boy: Are we gonna die?
    The Man: We are not gonna quit. We are gonna survive this.

    An unnamed father, played by Viggo Mortensen and his young son, played by Smit-McPhee, struggle to survive after an unspecified apocalypse and make their way toward the coast for possible food, shelter, safety, or to potentially find other survivors of the cataclysmic events. Along the way, armed with a gun with only two bullets, they encounter grave struggles and hardships across the barren landscapes, with scarce shelter and resources available to them, and having to avoid bands of cannibals and other desperate gangs looking to pillage valuables and food. Various flashback sequences occur where the Man remembers events prior to the catastrophe involving his deceased wife, played by Charlize Theron.

    The Man: I told the boy when you dream about bad things happening, it means you're still fighting and you're still alive. It's when you start to dream about good things that you should start to worry.

    Hilcoat's previous film was the great Australian western, "The Proposition," starring Guy Pearce. That film made great use of the barren outback to go along with another dark tale. His being attached to an adaptation of "The Road" got me immediately excited, and after seeing this film, he has delivered. As much as the story can be emotionally draining, I was not depressed watching this film. The balance between showing what humans are capable of and keeping a strong father-son bond at the center if the story is very effective here. Portraying a world gone to nothing, and not exploiting this aspect to achieve something greater beyond the two key characters is the element that certainly keeps this film in a grounded and tonally successful point of view.

    The Gang Member: That boy looks hungry. Why don't ya'll come on to the truck?
    The Man: You look at him again, I'll shoot you in the head.
    The Gang Member: I don't think you've killed a man in your life.

    The work by Mortensen and young Smit-McPhee is great. The two clearly worked hard to create the chemistry needed here, with Mortensen again throwing himself into another great performance. Small but effective work from Theron and Robert Duvall as well.

    The cinematography is quite effective here throughout. Working on a small budget, if one can get past the fact that gray is almost the only color you will see throughout this film, there is much to admire in the way the film has captured vast barren wastelands in both urban and forest settings. While not necessarily dwelling on how abandoned this world is, its certainly a great accomplishment in its portrayal of the world that was described in the book and in a way that captures why these characters act the way that they do.

    This certainly wont be a comfortable film for everyone to watch. Its very bleak and certainly not the exciting post-apocalyptic film that the ads want to sell this as (although there really isn't any other way to bring large audiences); however, its well made, with strong performances, and certainly does justice to the novel on which it is based.

    The Man: You have to keep carrying the fire.
    The Boy: What fire?
    The Man: The fire inside you.
  • kubrickian
    December 13, 2009
    kubrickian
    To say this film is beautiful is difficult. Visually it is stunning, but its story is ugly. No doubt words like bleak and stark will be attached, and they are all true.

    I could have done without the Charlize Theron parts, but they really didn't bother me too much. The final 30 m...( read more)inutes are a little wearing, but all in all, the film is a good adaptation of the wonderful book.
  • InfamousHugo
    December 13, 2009
    InfamousHugo
    THE ROAD (2009)
    dir. John Hillcoat
    cast. Viggo Mortensen, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Charlize Theron

    Like last year's Blindness, The Road¨is based on a beloved novel, acclaimed by the public and the critics. Both movies dont only shared high expectation but also the

    ...( read more) same problems when the story is translated into the movie medium. Characters are the same, and so is the storyline, but whats missing are the words of the authors that made those books as amazing as they were in the first place.

    John Hillcoat's film is based on a novel written by Cormac McCarthy, who also wrote the book adapted by the Coens two years ago, No Country For Old Men. I wont compare McCarthy's work with Hillcoat's adaptation, cause its very faithful. The storytelling in the other hand is what makes this film a disappointment. Lets make something clear though, I'll take a disappointment like The Road any day over most movies coming out of Hollywood.

    Performances are good. Viggo Mortensen is intense as usual and his eyes translate everything his character feels or thinks. Kodi Smith-McPhee as his kid in this post-apocalypse world is annoying, just like most children in movies where they have to be adult before their age. I wouldnt be surprised to see Robert Duvall get a nomination at some awards show for his 5-minute appearance.

    The Road is surprisingly not too slow, there is always something going on and it serves the story and / or the themes to develop. Its definitely well-adapted by Joe Penhall. So why is The Road such a disappointment with all those qualities ? I didnt feel anything. Hillcoat tries too hard to move his audience without being manipulative. I didnt feel the emotions, yet, the film didnt feel bleak enough. I wont blame my expectations, The Road simply isnt the award-worthy movie that was promised to us. Its good though.
  • CLamor1011
    December 13, 2009
    CLamor1011
    excellent novel by cormac mcarthy. very powerful just wish the movie was playing closer to grand rapids
  • ahs15
    December 13, 2009
    ahs15
    Watch This Movie Online FREE
    http://Fly75.com
  • taylo8501
    December 13, 2009
    taylo8501
    Read the book, and the book was on of the best written novels I have ever read.
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