I was really bored last night so I decided to watch a movie on Netflix. While browsing, I found a move with four stars called “The Road”. Did not sound horrid so I decided to watch it. I was pleasantly surprised.

The movie was from a Pulitzer-prize winning book by the same name by Cormac McCarthy. And it is filled with A-list stars. Viggo Mortensen, Charlize Theron, Robert Duvall and Guy Pearce. I was really kind of shocked and thought that this could not be that bad a movie. After all, all these guys would not have taken this role if the thought the script sucked. It couldn’t be all bad.

The movie is about a post-apocalyptic world. You have no idea why the place is in the condition it is, but everything is in bad shape. Some guy (Mortenson) is on a road heading somewhere with his son. By the way, some guy is actually his name. You have no idea what his name is or the kid. The first part of the movie uses flashbacks to set the base as to how the father and son end up where they are (I won’t tell you where they are going because it will ruin the movie). The flashbacks involve the man’s wife and boy’s mother (Theron) and explains why she is not with them. Let’s just say her destiny is not going to be shared by psychologists to cure those that are depressed. The second half of the film goes through their journey to their destination.

This is a very dark film. I got that when dad was showing his son how to kill himself with a gun. But it doesn’t get any happier. The weather is cloudy and grey almost as if the film is a black and white movie. there are dangers all around them and I found myself worried for them. What was worse, I saw no hope which I am sure was the intent. I felt the father’s pain when he realized his son was doomed and felt the struggle the two went through. It was awesome.

The acting was fantastic (though I wasn’t really surprised when I saw the cast). I didn’t even recognize Robert Duvall and even Charlize Theron looked plain and pained. Viggo Mortensen was awesome. Being a father, I felt his pain. Though his son did not understand the situation and why he did the things he did, you saw that Mortensen was juggling teaching his son to be “good guys” and the brutality needed for survival and protecting his son. I will have a hard time forgetting him giving him a Coca-Cola and the boy having no idea what it was. You could see his pain at knowing his son was never going to experience the things he was able to. Heart-breaking. And I have to give big props to Mortensen who looked like he lost a hundred pounds to take that role. The boy (played by Kodi Smit-McPhee) was a little whiny and naive for my taste but he did a good job (I blame the writers).

This movie was great. But you have to be in the mood for it. Don’t take a date or watch it with your children. There was some violence and Viggo does like to show his butt off (maybe it is a date movie. Might turn her on).

I give it 4 of 5 stars.