I have been looking forward to this movie for over a year now, as I read the Pulitzer Prize winning 2007 novel by Cormac McCarthy who also wrote “No Country for Old Men.” This is a movie I hope makes the cut when Oscar time comes around because it is a wonderful movie that honestly does a better job of depicting a post apocalyptic world than “2012” or any doomsday movie could ever hope to do. Like “Precious” this movie does a great job of showing how in the face of brutal situations we have the ability to maintain our humanity, but in this case, how easily we can lose it as well.

The plot is very simple, Man played brilliantly by Viggo Mortensen (“The Lord of the Rings films, “Eastern Promises”, “A History of Violence”) leads his son Boy played by newcomer Kodi Smth-McPhee, as they travel through post apocalyptic America just trying to survive. We never learn why the Earth is the desolate place that it has become and we don’t need to. It shouldn’t matter whether it was SKYNET launching nukes upon us or a virus, the real experience gained from the film comes from seeing a father do everything he can to protect his 11 year old son while keeping himself together as well.

They travel the world with nothing but a shopping cart filled with blankets, some food, and Man carries a small handgun that has only a few bullets in it. They know they are not alone but no one can be trusted because most humans have resorted to cannibalism.

The performances in this movie are what make it so powerful. Viggo Mortensen’s Man is a man conflicted. He wants to teach his son about morals and how to be a good person but often displays the opposite whenever they interact with anyone. Boy is often curious about the world that used to exist because he has grown up without ever really seeing how the world used to be. He also is getting old enough to question his father and he is starting to pick out all of his father’s contradictions but isn’t quite old enough to understand them either. These two do a great job of conveying the father son bond that exists between them and how much love they have for each other. Charlize Theron appears in flashbacks as Woman, Man’s wife and we see how he was prior to the world being destroyed. Robert Duvall adds a brief but great performance as Old Man.

The film is beautifully shot and while it may be very slow for some people I highly recommend seeing it because of the message it offers. However, if this is not your type of film, then you may also check out “Ninja Assassin” which, you guessed it, is about ninjas. There is also Disney’s first traditional animated film in five years “The Princess and the Frog” and if you’re in the mood to torture yourself please check out “Old Dogs”.

Remember you can check out these and other great movies at your local Edwards theaters. Click here for show times.