Someone left Tom Hanks out in the rain. Man, think of all that sweet green icing flowing down.

There's no denying that Road to Perdition is an artfully rendered movie. Gorgeously shot by cinematographer Conrad Hall, laden with atmosphere and period detail, acted with passion and precision by a brilliant cast, it has most of the ingredients of a great movie. And yet there's something cold and unengaging about Road to Perdition that kept me from truly embracing it.

The story is about fathers and sons. There's John Rooney, (Paul Newman) who runs a branch of the Chicago mob in an indeterminate city; his son, Connor, (Daniel Craig) born to criminal privilege, too secure in the idea that he can get away with whatever he wants; and Mike Sullivan, (Tom Hanks) an enforcer. Mike was taken in by John Rooney as a child and the two love each other like father and son, so he does the work Rooney requires of him even though he would prefer not to.

Mike has a wife and two sons, Michael and Peter. One night, Michael stows away while his father goes to work. What he witnesses changes their lives forever. After a shocking betrayal, Mike goes on the road with Michael on a quest for vengeance.

Here's a trick: Stare at this picture of Jennifer Jason Leigh for 10 seconds. Done? Okay, that was longer than she was in the entire movie.

There's a lot to like about this movie. First and foremost, the performances are across-the-board great. Tom Hanks, cast against type as a killer, is a little off-putting at first. His work here is so understated, so completely lacking in his usual warmth and charm, that I wasn't sure what to make of it. Soon, however, I realized that he was embodying a character who could only function by detaching himself almost completely from his emotions.

Paul Newman is brilliant as a man who long ago made peace with what he is. For him, murder is a regrettable but necessary part of the game and though he realizes that a tragedy has occurred he doesn't quite understand Mike's need for vengeance. The choice he makes — between his unworthy but natural son and the unflaggingly loyal Mike — breaks his heart but Newman plays it in such a way that we know there is no other choice he could make.

Also compelling are Daniel Craig as the arrogant Connor and Jude Law as Maguire, a hit man/photography buff hired to dispose of Mike. Maguire is what Mike could be. They're both murderers but while Mike kills grimly, Maguire has a passion for the job.

"Now look at the camera and say 'please, please don't kill me . . .' uh, I mean 'cheese'."

The look and feel of the movie alternately captivated me and got on my nerves. Cinematographer Hall has a painterly way with light and shadow and you can get lost in the visuals. But sometimes it was just too much. Director Sam Mendes, who made such a brilliant debut with American Beauty, lingers a little too lovingly over many of his shots, and often lets atmosphere stand in for storytelling. (You know, it doesn't have to be raining EVERY SINGLE TIME there's a dramatic moment; we'll get the point without the downpour.) Throw in some heavy-handed symbolism and you have a movie that takes itself more seriously than is warranted.

The script by David Self, based on a graphic novel by Max Allan Collins and Richard Piers Rayner is solid but predictable. The movie always goes pretty much where we think it's going to go.

Road to Perdition uses the background of a mob movie to explore the relationships between fathers and sons. The buried resentments, longing for approval and inability to express feelings that can characterize these relationships are all played out in the story of these desperate men. But for me it's ultimately too cold and dispassionate to effectively deal with such poignant themes.

Gorilla Pants rating: 2.5 out of 4 bananas