The Road * * * 1/2

The Apocalypse is not pretty.  You just about couldn't make a bleaker looking movie than "The Road".  That is what makes the movie feel authentic; it feels like the world really did come to an end.  The first third of the movie is bleak to the point of depressing, but the remainder gets more interesting and there is sort of a payoff at the end.  The payoff wasn't what I expected but I found it to be very satisfying.

This is not as much of an action picture as the trailer would lead you to believe.  It is different than the action oriented "Book Of Eli" which also lacks an emotional center.   The core of "The Road" is the emotional bond between father and son trying to survive under the worst possible circumstances.  This bond gets stronger as the movie progresses.  

Robert Duvall's part in the movie is very short, but a pleasant surprise and worth the price of admission.  He is already a great actor, but this may be one of his best performances ever.

I felt that the story might only be 3 stars, but this film gets extra credit for being unique.  We have seen post-apocalyptic movies before, but never one that looked quite like this.  Movies shouldn't just be measured on the quality of the story but also on the emotional impact, which for me is 4 stars.  I don't think that I will ever forget it.

John Coffey

Re: Carriers/Road

On Aug 30, 2010, at 8:34 AM, "larry.r.trout@L-3com.com" <larry.r.trout@L-3com.com> wrote:

Hello John,

   I assume you saw the Road this weekend.

   I saw Carriers, with Chris Paine who played Kirk from Star Trek.

   Carriers is about a plaque that killed mankind. It is a less epic, apocolypse movie.

   It was an interesting character dynamic between 4 traveling survivors and other survivors.

   Larry R. Trout

I saw it early  last week sometime but didn't get to finish the last 15 minutes.  Will do it tonight.  

Best wishes,

John Coffey

http://www.entertainmentjourney.com

Sent from my iPhone

Blade Runner: Final Cut * * * 1/2

I watched Blade Runner for the third time, having seen the original theatrical version in the 80's, the directors cut in the 90's, and now the Final Cut, which is essentially the same as the directors cut, with some minor changes.

I enjoyed seeing the movie again.   I think that I will watch this movie once every ten years just to see how its predictions compare to real advances in biotechnology.

This was a visionary film for its time, although the center of the film runs at a slow pace trying to set a somber mood.  It is a dark film, both figuratively and visually.  The movie messes with your head with moral ambiguities, but not as well as the book.   I highly recommend the film, but parts of it require patience.

John Coffey

P.S. I always value what Roger Ebert has to say. As usual, I think that he is too hard on science fiction.