Adapting a masterpiece such as The Road is a thankless task, but the film doesn't work on its own merits.
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11/23/09
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The Road (2009)
72
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:29
Fresh:21
Rotten:8
Average Rating:6.9/10
Rated: R [See Full Rating]
Genre: Dramas
Theatrical Release:Nov 25, 2009 Wide
Synopsis: After the Oscar-winning success of the adaptation of the Cormac McCarthy novel NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, another of the author's works arrives on screen. Viggo Mortensen stars in THE ROAD, a thriller... [More]
Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Kodi McPhee, Charlize Theron, Guy Pearce
Director: John Hillcoat
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Reviews for The Road
Top Critic"The Road" is like the proverbial tree that falls in the forest when no human or animal is around. Whether or not it makes a sound is a moot point.
11/21/09
A cinematic adaptation at once faithful and superior to its source material.
11/20/09
Hillcoat has a way of undermining the earthy performances of his cast with overly refined images and obtrusive music.
11/20/09
One of the most important and moving films to come along in a long time.
11/19/09
Hillcoat took it as far as he dared and created a beautiful suffering; a film that somehow manages to be both unwatchable and unmissable at the same time.
11/19/09
This relentlessly grim drama, which is much tougher and more challenging as screen text than No Country for Old Men, deserves to be seen for the Oscar-caliber performance of Viggo Mortensen, who carries the whole film on his solid shoulders.
11/16/09
Evocative as it is, The Road comes up short, not because it’s bleak but because it’s monotonous, and because McCarthy’s vision is finally as inflexible as his patriarchal hero’s.
11/16/09
Top CriticDespite the carps, a receptiveness to this material will pay off in tension and suspense, pushing you off The Road in a state of emotional exhaustion.
11/13/09
And unlike the better-than-the-book No Country for Old Men, it's only as good as the book. I guess I'm saying there's enough blame to go around.
11/12/09
Overall, THE ROAD is a horror movie in the truest sense -- it is about the horror of humanity, the horror of our legacy, the horror of what we might become.
11/09/09
When a movie is bleak and depressing, it had better be damned good. The Road is damned bad.
11/05/09
For all of its bleak content, the final equation proves surprisingly optimistic.
10/30/09
You won't find anything entertaining in The Road but maybe you'll find something else.
10/19/09
pure, stripped-down bleakness, both in the desaturated drabness of its appearance and in the last-days essentialism of its themes.
10/18/09
The Road is a film that, to quote Mark Twain, knows the words but not the music. It evokes the images and the characters of Cormac McCarthy's novel, but lacks a core of emotional feeling.
10/15/09
Top CriticPartly horror, partly sci-fi, mostly a family-bonding drama with stellar acting and patient action.
10/12/09
It's hard not to divine that The Road will be receiving near universal acclaim and a truckload of Oscar noms.
10/11/09
...one couldn't have asked for a more faithful translation from page to screen...
09/21/09
Really pulls you in and sticks with you ... an incredibly strong piece of dramatic storytelling.
09/18/09
Latest News for The Road
October 02, 2009:
New: Brand New Trailer and Poster
More...
September 22, 2009:
Viggo Mortensen Dismisses Retirement Rumors, Talks The Road
With the long-delayed "The Road" finally reaching theaters in a few weeks, Viggo Mortensen might have one of the year's best movies on his hands -- and despite rumors of his... More...
September 08, 2009:
Up in the Air, The Road Impress at Telluride
"Up in the Air" generated applause, "The Road" brought people to tears, and "Paranormal Activity" scared them half to death. This year's Telluride Film Festival is on the books,... More...
May 25, 2009:
Trailer & Poster review
More...
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