wilm-1

Very good dark comedy about how you reconcile the lost dreams of youth with the life you've created for yourself. Unlike a lot of "women's movies", it's very true to life and had an ending that seemed realistic. Very well acted and filmed.

"Road to Perdition" is beautifully filmed, and Tom Hanks and especially Paul Newman are good. Much of the plot, however, is contrived. I found the ending of the movie implausible and a little silly. All the symbolic nonsense about redemption was tiresome and overblown. Many reviews, perhaps taking cues from the movie's press releases, compared "Road" to "The Godfather" and "Bonnie and Clyde." "Road" is simply not in that league. I think of it more in the category of solid, but not especially great movies such at De Palma's "The Untouchables."

In an era when we've been begging for a decent James Bond flick, this movie comes along and shows that Hollywood can still make a great movie about spies and intrigue with a minimum of explosions and special effects. Damon portrays a spy who has lost his identity and has to find himself without the use of a bunch of silly props and gadgets. I also like the chemistry between Damon and Franka Potente. Unlike a lot of the stupid, helpless women we have to endure in thrillers, Potente brings a smart, clever presence to the movie. This film is also beautifully filmed, with fine, sweeping images of the Alps, Paris, and the Cote D'Azur and excellent editing. My only complaint: a couple of the fight scenes were hard to believe. Still, this is a great movie, especially by today's standards.