The Road - B+

In theaters. Rated R, 119 minutes. Trailer.

To call The Road bleak doesn't quite get it - more like suffocatingly grim. This is not a movie for people that can sit through Bride Wars or Old Dogs non-ironically. Based on Cormac McCarthy's Pulitzer prize winning book of the same name (reviewed by Priest here), the film is faithful to its unflinching apocalyptic vision. Director John Hillcoat does his best to make a man and his son's ashen struggle for survival watchable. Click below for more on THE ROAD:

Viggo Mortensen is perfectly cast as the noble and devoted father struggling to preserve his son's life for no apparent reason. The film shows a few days of their struggle to reach the coast and its (hopefully) warmer weather. Hillcoat efficiently uses flashbacks of Charlize Theron (Mortensen's wife) and life with her to provide some minimal tonal breaks. Robert Duvall has a few brief scenes and again provides gravitas and lots of interesting interactions. The gray and dying landscape is beautifully shot and provides lots of interesting pictures. The cannibalism and death are tastefully handled, but still haunting in their portrayal.

The film's main question is how to survive in a death-ridden world while still maintaining your soul. Viggo is ruthless in his protection of his son, but his son provides his conscience and makes sure they continue to 'carry the fire'. It is a question dealt with in The Dark Knight and also in Slumdog Millionaire. I am fascinated by the question and this film/book does the best job of really getting into the philosophical analysis of it. Fascinating stuff.

The film is not enjoyable, but it is very good.