Read Street: Reviews of "The Road" movie - A blog for a community of readers, in Baltimore and beyond.

the road movie Watching "The Road," a movie about a post-apocalyptic world might not seem the best way to celebrate the holidays, but I guess we can say a Thansgiving prayer that the Cold War thawed without a big bang. And we can be thankful that Cormac McCarthy's acclaimed novel has been adapted without losing all of its power. Here are excerpts of reviews:

The New York Observer: "it is sad, bleak and unbearably depressing. It is also gripping, shattering and brilliant."

The New York Times: "The most arresting aspect of 'The Road' is just how fully the filmmakers have realized this bleak, blighted landscape of a modern society reduced to savagery. A grimy, damp fog hangs over everything, and instead of birdsong there is the eerie creak and crash of falling trees. Vehicles sit abandoned on highways, houses stand looted and vacant, and what used to be towns are afterimages of violence and wreckage."

Chicago Tribune: "Director John Hillcoat's film version, scripted by playwright Joe Penhall, constitutes an act of faithful adaptation. Yet its faithfulness is more to the letter than the spirit, and it's not the work of an inspired director, merely a dogged one. The script and the imagery take the story in some peculiar directions in the name of 'relatability' and, odd as it sounds, sentimentality. The best thing about the film is Viggo Mortensen's performance."

Miami Herald: " 'The Road' still feels like an adaptation of a better, more profound work. But the filmmakers capture enough of the book's essence -- and the power of its knockout, transcendent ending -- to more than justify the movie's existence."

Comments

While it is indeed not possible to faithfully reproduce McCarthy's poetic prose in a film version of the story, I feel that the movie did do the book justice. I watched the movie with my adult son, and we both agree that, as a father/son story, the movie was worth every horrific minute.

Posted by: Garth | November 25, 2009 6:24 PM

This movie is a oiece of crap. The story could have lasted ten minutes and been enough. lets get over this type of pablum, it is not well acted or directed. lets move on.

Posted by: larry mcanany | November 25, 2009 10:30 PM

I loved the book and found it extremely moving, but I can't imagine it having the same impact as a movie. It's really the language that I found beautiful in the book and I don't know how a movie (even one with Viggo Mortensen) could capture that. I'll see it eventually, but it's a little bleak for holiday viewing, IMO.

Posted by: Lisa | December 1, 2009 5:47 PM

I liked the book a lot, but didn't feel anything in the movie...I couldn't care about these people at all in the movie. I found it long and borning.

Posted by: Gail | December 3, 2009 2:32 PM

I enjoyed reading the book so I'm hoping the movie will be good too. It was both adventureses and sad.

Posted by: christian | December 10, 2009 11:50 AM

glad i saw it online for free, and didn't pay.
the movie left out the book's Best Scene.
the movie had music...Any Music is too much. the movie gave Woman too many minutes; the book gave her very few words. this is not a faithful adaptation. this was made for Netflix since No multi-screen theaters will show it (Avatar and
Sherlock on 5 of 7 screens locally).

Posted by: john of sparta | December 28, 2009 10:03 PM

I though the did well staying with the line of the book. Both were depressing and incredibly good.

Posted by: Adriene | December 31, 2009 1:14 AM

Excellent work by Mortensen, Duval and Omar (the name in the film), set design/location choices, exceptional script, are incredible .The Road reflects the images and the characters of Cormac McCarthy's novel. It is powerful, but i think lacks the same core of emotion.

Posted by: lavina | January 27, 2010 6:31 AM

(Spoiler) Many time in the movie the father is accusing others of following them. At somepoint in the movie the kid say he ear a dog (part in the food shelter). The familly in the end have a dog. As soon the father die the familly come to the rescue.

conclusion:

the familly with the dog WAS folowing our 2 hero for a long time. My guess is THEY WERE WAITING FOR THE FATHER TO DIE SO THEY CAN EAT THE CHILD. They saw how protective the father was.

Posted by: John Deere | February 1, 2010 6:18 PM

i really enjoy warching this actor. he rocks

Posted by: watch movies online | February 9, 2010 3:08 PM