Phil and Emily continue their miniseries on Oscar winning Best Director follow ups from the 2000s with Road to Perdition, Sam Mendes’ ambitious second feature after American Beauty. Joining them is film journalist and podcaster Blake Howard (One Heat Minute Productions), who helps unpack the film’s technical brilliance, subdued emotional core, and unique place in early 2000s cinema.
Together, they dive into Mendes’ leap from stage to screen, the film’s striking cinematography from Conrad Hall, and how Tom Hanks’ against type performance reshaped audience expectations. The conversation explores Paul Newman’s final live action role, Jude Law’s scene stealing menace, and Daniel Craig’s early career turn as one of cinema’s most dangerous nepo babies. They also debate Thomas Newman’s Oscar nominated score, the film’s release strategy, and how it stands among Mendes’ eclectic career from Jarhead to Skyfall and beyond.
With insights ranging from Jude Law’s underrated presence to the legacy of Paul Newman and Tom Hanks’ evolving star persona, this episode is both a reconsideration of a Depression era gangster story and a reflection on the pressures of following up an Oscar winning debut.
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