The Road Review
Written by: BlackTequilaKiss
You want horror, watch The Road. No you won’t get the typical blood and gore, no it does not provide the clichéd jumps so often associated with the genre but for something that gets under the skin, takes you into forbidden territory of which you are not use and provides some of the most shocking, beautifully crafted moments... you cannot go wrong.
Based on the novel of the same title, its woven brilliance comes in the thread of saturated colours, poignant and dimensional characters and a storyline that very well could happen in the present day. The plotline simply is about, as most known, a father and his son trying to survive in a post apocalyptic world.
Too often I try to think of horror as a form of escapism to be used when I need a break from the real world, truth is, its not. Horror by its own reckoning is a substance we love because we all have something that terrifies us, no matter how ridiculous or sane it seems so this should appeal to those who want the fear in movies to be real, be able to taste it.
Praise has to go towards the leads in both Viggo Mortensen and Kodi Smit-McPhee who give solid, gritty performances and never shirk on detail.
Viggo is an actor I have always admired for his longevity in film; he has grown from early films and so-so acting into an actor that has matured and become a blessing in a world filled with cosmetic actresses/ actors. Even in ‘The Road’ he pulls out all the stops and grabs at the heartstrings, giving an Oscar winning performance that brought tears to my eyes. His last scene especially is one of sentimental value without being overdone and remains one of those moments in film when you slowly realise you have watched a tour de force.
Kodi Smit-McPhee, wow, at the beginning you can see he is a young actor who is evidently nervous on camera but as the movie gathers pace he goes to amazing depth and pulls out a gorgeous performance not often seen from such a young star. Now with Let Me In under his belt, I think he can go far.
Truthfully there is a lot I could say about the film. The score is amazing and illustrates every part of the movie perfectly; the colours are matted down into greys and blacks so when colour does emerge it’s all the more intense for it. Guest stars from Duvall to Pearce don’t sully the movie and give an added weight and the end scene? Both heartbreaking and greatly executed in how it is portrayed.
Yet it doesn’t stand to me to say watch this film, you have to keep that fire burning and want to watch it but there are not many movies of this ilk. Not many nowadays that make you think, make you wonder, not many that can cause such an array of emotions and stun, shock in equal measure. Its simplicity and that stark reality it represents is what make this a film deserved. Whilst it may not be horror in the complete fashion it deserves acknowledgement for showing the horror in the real world.
‘The Road’ a triumph in cinema and a film to be cherished.