Director: John Hillcoat
Genre: Drama/Adventure/Thriller
Year: 2009

If Avatar was one of the best films you will see 2009, The Road is likely to be one of the greatest films you will not. Which is a shame, but it seems the universe has been conspiring against this movie from the very start, to the point that I fear it will be overlooked for some very well deserved prizes come award season. This movie, based on the highly acclaimed book by Cormac McCarthy of the same title, was supposed to be released late 2008, or at least that is what word in the rumor mill said. Early screenings apparently sent it back into the editing room to be released early 2009; those plans were then ditched in favor of a late release trying to get some better positioning for the awards…though I fear they might have overshot it and released it far too late because, in all honesty, nobody wants to watch such a sad tale over the holidays with the family around.

For those unaware of the plot, the film — like the book — deals with an unnamed man (Viggo Mortensen; LOTR trilogy, Eastern Promises) and his son (Kody Smit-McPhee; Romulus, my Father), living in a post apocalyptic earth after it has been scorched, presumably by war. Remaining largely loyal to the book and adding only small bits of information to add to the broader understanding on the subject — additions which include the mother/wife played by Charlize Theron (Monster, Hancock) — the story takes us on a journey to the sea, where man expects to find some sort of hope for himself and the boy, before the next winter hits. In the process, he and his child will encounter some of humanity’s greatest qualities and some of its worst in a heart wrenching manner.

If you have read the book, then you are familiar with the engrossing pace with which it reads, gripping, unforgiving and brutally honest. The movie, to its credit, is a very good adaptation of the original work of literature, even if I did feel in the end that the entire bit with Charlize Theron was ultimately not necessary and probably only served to confuse things a bit more.

With nothing but a gun, two bullets (one for his boy, one for himself) and a cart full of supplies, man and boy travel the lonely roads, encountering brief glimpses of life, which will both test and fortify their bonds. Emotionally, this is a very difficult movie to watch, particularly for a parent, where the question is not only ‘what is the point of going on living in a dead world?’ but also ‘would you have it in you to kill your own child in order to save him?’ This and many other similar questions are brought to the forefront of this film whose bitterly realistic view hits like a horse’s kick but manages to hold a candle of hope against a very austere background.

“You have to keep carrying the fire.” Man tells the boy in one part of the film, explaining why they must continue their journey, and in many ways that single line becomes the heart of this story, the idea that small as it might be, the humanity that we carry within must survive at all costs and when things become dire and difficult, it is the boy who will lift that flame back up and remind his father what it is exactly that they are fighting for, even if he is not aware he is doing it.

Displaying a fantastic bit of directing, Hillcoat has been more than fair in making this film live up to the book, and while I might still recommend reading the book before watching the movie, you will find that most of these scenes are actually taken directly from the original material.

Credit must also be given to Mortensen, who plays perhaps his greatest role to date, carrying the entire film with only the help of Smit-McPhee, who is doing his largest role, and with the aid of a very small, but very effective supporting cast which includes Robert Duvall, Guy Pearce and Molly Parker. Viggo Mortensen displays a range on his acting ability that not only establishes credibility to his role, but which goes a long way in defining that bond between father and child which becomes so crucial to this film. All around, this movie hits all the right notes, however melancholy or frightening they might be, which is a sad thing, considering that this film is playing only in a handful of theaters and likely will be buried under the rest of the holiday season’s movie-trash such as movies with talking chipmunks. My advise? If you are OK with emotionally trying movies, seek this film out as soon as possible before it comes off the theaters, and you might just be surprised at how a can of peaches, can be the humble highlight of an entire film. Moving and horrifying in turn, this starkly beautiful film is likely one of 2009′s most underrated films.

Rating:
Comment: Not at all a film for children. Very adult themes, language, violence, brief nudity and frightening imagery.
Quote: 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.