Back when the possibility of nuclear war was a hot topic in the 80′s, there were various visions of the apocalypse and what might be left of both the earth and humanity after the destruction.  Cormac McCarthy’s 2007 Pulitzer prize winning book “The Road” details the story of a few survivors of such an event.  The film adaptation, directed by John Hillcoat (The Proposition), focuses not on the event of the apocalyptic destruction, but instead on what is left in its wake.  The aftermath sees an earth in tattered ruins and those left alive, struggling (in the immortal words of Malcolm X “by any means necessary”) to spend more time on it.

The Road stars Viggo Mortensen as ‘the man’ and Kodi-Smit McPhee as ‘the boy’; a father and son roaming the remains of earth in a journey to the coast.  The coast is seen as a place where there might be more fruitful means of living, but this might indeed be conjecture by the father, as he is attempting to teach his boy how to navigate this new version of life on earth.  Armed with a revolver with two spare bullets, the man will protect his child at all costs, against all comers.  The bullets represent the last opportunity to leave the planet with their dignity in tact.  One bullet for each person, to take their own lives should the will to win finally be too small or a situation be too fraught with danger to chance it.  Earth is inhabited by a clear sense of the unknown.  Fear everything, trust no one.

"The Man" has his game face on.

Since there are few survivors scrambling for any remnants of food, trying to achieve a means to an end, cannibalism has become the most gruesome, and in some ways necessary, means of death.  Some survivors have bonded together in rebellious groups figuring that it’s best to be part of a team to make their way through the landscape.  Most of these people would kill for a Mickey D’s,  well, really they would kill for a lot less.  Their is no sunlight, earth is covered in a steady dust.  It is cold and often wet.  Those without wilderness skills of cunning need not apply.  Hope you got your boy scout training on lock.  Clothing is at a premium.  The value of fuel makes our displeasure with high gas prices seem absolutely trivial.  A dented, still full can of soda is to be cherished.  A cigarette, even more so.  The bottom line is, things aren’t pretty.  Our duo roam like low-class homeless people, not because they are, but not because they aren’t.  Everyone is homeless.

So, not a lot happens in The Road.  That is pretty much the point.  It’s not like you are going to catch a baseball game on TV or go to the cinema.  There is no currency.  Really, there is nothing.  Nothing but what you have inside of you.  The film, in my eyes, is the most realistic and brilliant depiction of what might be left after an apocalyptic event.  That being said, it’s nothing nice.

These guys think cannibalism does a body good. That depends on which body you speak of.

This is as faithful an adaptation of the novel as necessary, an amazing job by Hillcoat. He allows the destructed landscape to speak for itself and offers up some great camera angles to keep things visually interesting.  There is a clever working in (an expansion from the novel) of the mother/wife character – portrayed by the usually strong Charlize Theron – that plays a role in how our characters views on life are shaped.  All the while, Hillcoat lets the actors be the key our participation in this desolation. Hillcoat luckily scored the rights to the novel, six months prior to it even being published.  Long before it was a best seller, a Pulitzer prize winner and an Oprah book club pick.  His gain becomes our gain, with the result being a difficult, but important, film.

The film (and the novel for that matter) is about both survival and love in their purest forms.  It is an examination of what it means to guide, to teach, to share, to learn.  It’s also on my short list for movie of the year thus far.  It is a perfect chance for all of us to look both outside – and within – ourselves, to discover what we are really all about.  While The Road is one that nobody in their right mind would literally want to travel, it is one that most should take the opportunity to see.

A story of Depression-era bootleggers once thought to not be a viable product is becoming an extremely hot commodity these days. The Wettest County in the World is attracting young stars and big name actors across the map, making the film a virtual certainly to go in front of the cameras soon.

According to The Hollywood Reporter’s Risky Biz Blog, Shia LaBeouf, Scarlett Johansson, Ryan Gosling, Paul Dano and Michael Shannon have all expressed keen interest in the project, but none are signed on to date. When and if they do, they’ll be working under the direction of John Hillcoat, he of the Australian western, The Proposition, and the much anticipated upcoming The Road.

“Wettest” is a sweeping, historical crime drama of the American South, based on the author Matt Bondurant’s grandfather and two great-uncles — three brothers who made up a fierce criminal gang at the center of the country’s moonshine trade. The book also tracks a parallel story involving a writer named Sherwood Anderson who was on the trail of the bootlegging story, reporting on the moonshine trade and researching his novel “Kit Brandon,” published in 1936.

My anticipation of The Road couldn’t be greater, which makes the idea of another Hillcoat-directed film jump immediately to the top of my “can’t wait” list. Especially with the list of interested actors. I’m a monster Gosling fan as he seems to bring a bit of a Midas touch to all his films. I hope signatures are laid down soon, so we can continue to cover this intriguing project.

Assuming all the males actors named above are vying for the same role, whom would you hope gets the part?

The Old American West has always been a land of enchantment, mystery, romance, prosperity and growth.  It was our culture’s “manifest destiny” to take it.  A lot of the inflated romanticism about the west was transcended into film.  Much of the early movies featured singing cowboys, clean-cut ranch hands and the heroic Calvary battling the evil Indians.  However, the actual west was not like that at all. It was treacherous, untamed and filled with criminals, bounty hunters, gamblers and horse thieves.  Finally, an Italian (not an American), epitomized much of the true “American West” for the screen.  Sergio Leone’s vision of the west was much more violent, the characters were mysterious and not easily likable and turned our beloved west into a barren wasteland.  Perhaps a place even more barren and untamed than the American West is the Australian Outback (even to this day).

Much like the mid-to-late 19th century America, Australia was also experiencing vast growth and prosperity. Clothing, the architectural style of the towns and social lifestyles were very similar. Instead of the class struggle between the Calvary and Indians, Anglo-Europeans and the native Aborigines replaced it.  The Proposition, though not devoted to showcasing the entire history of this era of Australia, shows a small personal and compelling glimpse of what life was like back then.  Borrowing from the morally ambiguous topics of Leone’s west, The Proposition is easily the best representation of the Australian “west.” Of course, how can it be considered a “western” when it takes place in Australia?  Well, both the Outback and the west of the era shows the same imagery and explores the same western themes.  The Proposition isn’t the first Australian western, but I haven’t come across too many. Ned Kelly, Quigley Down Under and last year’s Australia are a few that come to mind. Written by Australian musician Nick Cave (who also provides the score), The Proposition offers a look of how brutal and violent the Outback was.

The key word is "desolate."

After the Hopkins family homestead is raped, murdered and pillaged by the Burns gang, a manhunt ensues to bring them to justice.  The gang then splits into two factions with one part going into the desolate Outback lead by sociopath Arthur Burns (Danny Huston) and the other going into hiding, lead by younger brother Charlie Burns (Guy Pearce).  Accompanying Charlie is the youngest Burns brother, Mikey (Richard Wilson). Charlie, who grew weary of Arthur’s truly evil, psychotic nature, splits from him because he wants no part of murdering innocent people, plus he doesn’t want to expose naïve Mikey to the gang’s violent behavior.  When authorities ambush Charlie’s gang, a violent gunfight ensues and most of his gang is killed, except for himself and Mikey.

Sitting at a table in a cramped-up shack, Charlie is approached by Captain Morris Stanley (Ray Winstone).  Stanley first looks out the shack’s window and says, “Australia, what fresh hell is this?”  He proclaims to Charlie that he will civilize the land from outlaws (like the Burns gang) and the native people.  Stanley, who has to punish them for the Hopkins murders, generously gives Charlie a proposition.  Stanley believes Charlie did not commit any rape or murder of the Hopkins family and younger Mikey was too mentally challenged to pull it off.  He does, however want to bring Arthur to justice, dead or alive.  He lets Charlie go in order to find Arthur in the unforgiving Outback and kill him.  If he does, he will grant Charlie and Mikey a full pardon.  If not, Mikey will hang from the gallows. Charlie has nine days to find Arthur.

Meanwhile, Stanley must deal with the constant “threat” of the native Aboriginals and shielding his innocent wife, Martha Stanley (Emma Watson), from the local town.  Stanley and his wife are originally from England and he is transferred to Australia to bring order to the land.  Stanley must also deal with alienation from the town for making a proposition to a murderous gang and excessive pressure from his superior, Eden Fletcher (David Wenham).  Fletcher greatly disapproves of Stanley’s proposition and is on the verge of relieving him of his duties.

Charlie must make the tough choice to find out what is right or wrong within himself, even if it means killing his brother.  He crosses paths with bounty hunter Jellon Lamb (John Hurt) who aims to kill Arthur for a reward.  Charlie knocks him out and continues toward Arthur’s camp.  He is soon attacked by Aborigines and is rescued by Arthur’s gang.  Arthur, nicknamed “Dog Man,” never sleeps at night and has a constant lust for blood.  When Charlie finally confronts him, he is forced into a moral dilemma.  He must make the tough choice of killing his cold-blooded murdering brother (but still family) or rejoining his regrettable lifestyle of being on the run, even at the risk of losing his younger brother.

Long lost screenshot from Guy Pearce's audition tape for 'The Passion of the Christ.'

Danny Huston as Arthur Burns is truly the scariest and sickest western villain I have ever seen.  You never know when he will lunge to kill or just lull you into a casual conversation about family. You hate him, but are also intrigued about how a human being could be so evil. Huston is magnificent in the role and truly gives the best performance of the film. You’re also not sure about Charlie himself.  Yes, he didn’t commit any rape or murder, but you’re not sure if he wants to go back to his old ways.  Guy Pearce plays Charlie as a mysterious individual and makes his moral intentions undefined.  You question his past, but feel for him because he loves his younger brother Mikey and will do anything to protect him.  Ray Winstone is also superb.  He is forceful in the nature of his job, but is also a gentleman to his wife and the Aboriginals. His and Emma Watson’s characters are truly the only good-hearted people in the film. You could say Mikey is somewhat innocent, but is still was associated with Arthur.

I haven’t seen so many mysterious characters in one western before, even above Leone’s.  This is how the true west was like and Nick Cave nails it with his fabulous script.  His score, which accompanies his writing, is triumphant, as it is asked to drive the movie and leaves a haunting impression.  He also gives respect to the native Australian population by giving them important roles and making them a major part of the story.  Aboriginal actors David Gulpili and Tommy Lewis were very good and you come out with a better appreciation of their culture.  Cave bridges the gap between those who where modernized and those who kept hold of old tradition. Lewis, who plays Two-Bob and is part of the Burns gang, dresses in then-modern clothes, uses a gun and speaks in an Aussie accent. Gulpili, who plays Jacko, and is scout for the authorities, is the exact opposite. He uses the native tongue, uses traditional weaponry like the spear and dresses in native clothing.  Cave brings in both cultures and wonderfully blends them together.

Much of the credit should also go to director John Hillcoat.  Hillcoat makes Cave’s blood-drenched script come alive with beautiful panoramic shots of the Outback and quick editing sequences during the more violent scenes.  His dark-lit shots of Danny Huston make his character seem truly evil.  Hillcoat’s direction, combined with Cave’s script, help create one of the bloodier western masterpieces.  The Proposition is truly an excellent western, a great film and one you need to seek out.

Buy this Film U Missed here.

Normally, this wouldn’t really be news. It might make it into one of Film News Daily segments, but would just be a footnote. This is different, though. This is one our most anticipated films of the year, after being one of our most anticipated of last year. The film that had been delayed for an entire year, much to our dismay, finally has a release date. The Road will be in theaters near you on October 16th, 2009.

Why in the world are we so excited about this? I personally haven’t read the Cormac McCarthy book it’s based on, but The Rake has and his enthusiasm has certainly pushed me along. However, Viggo Mortensen has been growing on me, and although I didn’t hail the film as one of the year’s best, his performance in Eastern Promises was worthy of the Oscar nomination he earned. I love the post-apocalyptic idea with almost the total absence of humanity. Lastly, one of the ultimate reasons to count the days until the film is released is one Michael K. Williams. Know him? If not, allow me to fill you in. He played possibly the greatest TV character of all time in Omar Little, on the best dramatic TV show of all time, “The Wire.” Although by all accounts, his role is small in this, ever since that  show ended the withdrawal from no longer seeing him grace any screen is in full force. I’d imagine once the film opens and others see him, he’ll be popping up on the big screen for years to come. When that happens, we’ll welcome him with open arms.

A classic Omar Little moment: