The Road - Bleak is beautiful

Let’s get the obvious out the way first – ‘The Road’ is NOT a ‘feel-good movie.’ Anyone expecting anything more than a bleak and depressing tale should avoid this film like the plague.  However, just because it’s hardly ‘laugh-a-minute’ doesn’t mean it’s not worth watching – you just have to be in the right frame of mind to appreciate it.

Like the book it’s based on, ‘The Road’ charts the story of a man and boy (never named) as they negotiate their new existence, trying to survive in a world after some disastrous apocalyptic event (also never named).  It’s not a perfect film, but it does have a lot going for it.  First of all are the performances from ‘man’ and ‘boy’ – Viggo Mortensen and Kodi Smit-McPhee – who clearly have an excellent rapport between them, making them a believable ‘mini-family.’ Then you have the settings.  Everything looks depressingly perfect and suits the mood to a tee.  Finally, you have the supporting cast.  You have Robert Duvall, Charlize Theron and Guy Pearce.  Although, some may consider their inclusion to be a little misleading, as all three are all little more than cameos to the major characters.

Some people have criticised Kodi Smit-McPhee’s performance, saying he’s a little too helpless and comes across as annoying.  I have to confess I did find him a little hard to take in his constant whining and neediness, but, as others have pointed out online, he has had a harsh upbringing and has spent his life being constantly hunted and sheltered by his father.  Therefore, his ‘uselessness’ could be considered as some form of ‘Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome.’

As I said, The Road is an excellent film, just a bit of a downer in its tone.  If you can put up with that, you’ll enjoy it greatly.  If you’re not in the mood for that... stick with something happy-go-lucky like ‘American Pie.’

7/10 if I woke up on Groundhog Day and had to watch this again, I could live with that