Sam Mendes’ crime drama has an interesting feel. It has a dated feel, not just because it’s a period piece but because it was made almost twenty years ago. Between baby Daniel Craig and not bald Stanley Tucci I was constantly aware of the datedness of the movie. All jokes aside the movie does have the feel of an early two thousands. That being said, there were plenty of things I found enjoyable in Road to Perdition

The thing I liked the most about the movie was weirdly, the audio. The machine guns and pistols have this violent feel and sound to them. When a gun goes off it is powerful, theres a sense of shock and awe to each shot that is fired off. That being said, the movie often utilizes character perspective and motivation to inform the sounds of the guns. A gun will be seen shot from outside a house of the sound will be drowned out due to a hesitance. The sound of the movie, in one word, is motivated. And it does well in facilitating the progression and the action of the movie.

The movie also has a great score. While the movie itself may be dated, the score is timeless. The music isn’t flashy or overly done. It compliments the many sequences of the movie yet consistently has a somber tone. It works hand in hand with the visuals and amplifies the solemn and earnest feeling of the movie.

The acting of the movie is very restrained. No one (besides Jude Law’s Maguire) is particularly flashy or over the top. Everyone’s acting, again, serves the tone of the movie. Everyone acts like they are from the 1930’s. They are stoic and unemotional, until they need to be. It’s a motivated choice and again, works well for the movie.

I liked this movie. It is a period piece through and through. Sure it feels dated but there are enough well done elements to stand the test of time. Not to mention every aspect of the movie works hand in hand to serve a specific tone. I give it 4 machine guns out of 7.