I have a thing for these gangster type movies since the days of Godfather. The craze for these kind of movies seem to catch me sporadically. I end up watching what I can lay my hands on. Plus, I am a fan of Tom Hanks. So here we go...
The Movie
’’Some say Michael Sullivan was a decent person, some others say there was no good in him at all.....But I once spent six weeks with him in the winter of 1931. This is our story’’. Thus starts the movie as told by a boy standing on a beach. It turns out the boy is Michael Sullivan Jr.(Tyler Hoechlin). The movie is set in the 1931 Depression-era Illinois during the Al Capone days.
The Plot
Tom Hanks sheds his nice-guy image (rem ’’You’ve got mail’’) to play Michael Sullivan, the hit-man of John Rooney (Paul Newman). John Rooney is portrayed as a grandfatherly Irish who likes to play dice with Michael’s two kids. Rooney is introduced hosting a wake for one of his men who incidentally was killed by his men on his orders. Michael is like a son for Rooney. Michael’s sons are wondering what his dad’s job is. Michael Jr. fantasizes him as a knight and sets to find out. The real drama begins when the dad goes with Connor, Rooney’s son, to ’’talk’’ to another gangster and it breaks into a shoot out. It turns out the son was hiding in dad’s car under the seat and has seen it all. He witnesses it all and is seen. Connor is not assured that Michael Jr. knows to keep his mouth shut. He sends out his man to kill the son, but the other son and the mother become victims.
Michael starts to run with his son and are turned down by Frank Nitti, an Al Capone-right-hand-man. They set out to a small town by the beach called Perdition where the boy’s aunt lives. Unknown to them, Nitti at Rooney’s behest has sent a creepy hitman, Maguire (he’s seen photographing his own victims).
Highlights:
There are two encounters between Maguire & Sullivan - both are extremely watchable. One happens in a restaurant where Michael realises that the man who walked in to sit down in front of him is the killer. Another is the last scene. I wouldn’t reveal that, of course ;-).
Then there is the scene where the Godfather finds himself in the middle of the shoot out. Bullets catch the bodyguards around him. The gunman is shooting from the shadows (Great Cinematography !!!!!!!!!). You will want to believe for a minute that he will be spared. But alas, no.
Direction:
Overall, the director has done a good job. The setting of the 1930s is close to authentic. The cinematography is fantastic – you have to see that to believe it. There is a scene in Chicago’s streets in a pedestrian crossing – it is fantabulous. Then there is the final scene (again, I wont disclose it, not because I am an accountant – no paper shredders here ;-) )