"While the film is often thrilling and generally compelling, it doesn't have the poignance that it should."

The Road is 2009's entry in the Movies You Admire and Respect but Don't Ever Want to Watch Again Sweepstakes. You know going in that it's going to be bleak and somber; the question is whether it's also going to be profound and touching enough to compensate for that, to make you leave the theater thinking, "I've just seen a powerfully emotional work of art!" rather than…