"He knew only that his child was his warrant. He said: If he is not the word of God God never spoke."I’ve been a fan of Cormac McCarthy’s novel “The Road” ever since I listened to the audio CD several years. This Pulitzer Prize winning novel enthralled and engaged me in such a surprising way. I felt myself swept up by the beautiful suffering of the title characters, The Man and The Boy. It was the type of book that I may have picked up and put back down because of the exorbitant amount of exposition but hearing it read aloud made all the difference. It made me ache for these characters and as what often happens when I glimpse greatness feel just slightly envious of Cormac’s talent and ability to create such a rich world.
When I managed to snag a ticket to an early screening of “The Road” directed by John Hillcoat, I wasn’t hopeful. How do you take a hauntingly beautiful film about a man and a boy struggling to survive in a post-apocalyptic world and turn it into an entertaining movie? The answer is simple. You hire a talented writer like newcomer Joe Penhall who stays loyal to the story but adds his own touch. You enlist an Australian director with a strong vision. You eschew celebrity stunt casting and instead hire actors like Viggo Mortensen, Charlize Theron, Robert Duvall and newcomer Kody Smitt-McPhee and voila, you have a haunting portrayal of survival, love and hope and the lengths a father will go to protect his son. Viggo as “The Man” and his son, “The Boy” walk along the road we flashback to the beginning, when an unnamed event (perhaps nuclear, as everywhere seems to burn) though the explanation is never distinct. We learn that humanity as we know it has fallen and survival is left to those who are stronger, faster and possess weapons.
As “The Man” makes a plan to lead his son south to a warmer and hopefully kinder climate, he must protect his from son from foraging bands of humans who’ve taken to cannibalism and other deplorable acts and prepare him to survive on his own. The cinemataThis is no New Moon (Thank God) and if you’re the kind of person who only goes to the movies to be uplifted than you may need to skip this one. It’s a little art housey but I’ve never been one to scorn a film for that. I think it’s a faithful adaptation and an enjoyable two hour escape.
After the screening, Viggo gave a talkback. I’d intended to write up a whole question and answer session regarding it but I got busy (or lazy depending on your definition) so I’ll just give you the highlights.. Viggo isn’t at all what I thought he’d be. He’s generally portrayed as serious, a true act-or! I figured he’d be sullen and disagreeable having to do press to pimp out his movie. I couldn’t have been more wrong. He was dressed in a suit jacket with his long hair combed neatly and the kind of presence that made you wonder why he isn’t a bigger star. His passion for this project was evident and he was insightful, funny and handsome. If I hadn’t already had a crush after seeing “Eastern Promises”, I did now! Viggo spoke of his process, of having live in that depressing world using thoughts of his family and friends and his own son to delve into the emotions of that character. He also praised his co-star Kody, for his talents, offering an anecdote about how unswayed kids are. He said they were on set with Robert Duvall and Robert remarked to Viggo how impressive Kody was. He agreed then later asked Kody what he thought about Robert. With the wisdom and innocence only a child could have, Kody said, “The old guy? He’s not bad.” Viggo said that he hopes to work with David Cronenberg again, the man who helped him earn critical accolades in “A History of Violence” and an Oscar nomination in “Eastern Promises.” He said there’s even talk of a sequel to “Eastern Promises” which makes me excited since it’s my favorite role of his to date. Q&A’s never offer anything truly insightful. But it was fun, for me at least, to see an actor I’d always perceived as one way to be something entirely different.
