Movie Review: Revolutionary Road
Watching Revolutionary Road is not a pleasant experience and I think you'll be hard pressed to find anyone who would say that they "love," this film. Every frame overflows with melodrama and depression but it's impossible to deny the power the film packs with every punch. Director Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Jarhead) directs the film with some big broad strokes of imagery and directs the two stars, Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio, into some of the finest performances of their career. You may not enjoy Revolutionary Road, but it's a damn fine movie.
Set in the mid-1950's, Revolutionary Road paints the portrait of an unhappily married couple who's greater aspirations have been smothered by the suburban lifestyle. Kate Winslet, plays April Wheeler, a failed actress who falls in love with Frank Wheeler at a young age, and leaves her dreams of acting and fame behind. Frank Wheeler works as a salesman of some sort (I could be, and probably am, wrong) who hates his job and the place in life he has been forced into. The two decide to ditch the white picket fence for a happier life in Paris, France. However, nothing goes according to plan and the results are detrimental to the two's relationship.
The opening scene of Revolutionary Road pits Leo and Kate against each other in an explosive fight that had me wondering whether I would enjoy a single second of the film. The film puts a lot of hateful fights front and center and I wondered why I was supposed to give a crap about these people who often say some really terrible things to one another. However, the more the film went on and the more I learned about the couple's history, the more enthralled and engrossed I became into the story. By the final scenes of the film I was holding my breath so I wouldn't miss a single line of the dialogue as the Wheeler's tried to keep their marriage afloat.
In a movie like this, much like American Beauty, a lot of it's succes hinges on the performances of the cast. Thankfully, we have two of the most powerful actors of our generation sparring with each other and it's a joy to watch. It's pretty amazing to see how far these two have come since their romance aboard Titanic. (NOTE: I was in the 4th or 5th grade when Titanic came out and seeing Kate Winslet's boobs was EPIC.) Even when scenes get incredibly dark it's hard not to be mesmerized and swept up by how powerful of a performance Leo and Kate give. It's electric.
I love the era in which this film is set. I already named Mad Men as my favorite show of the year, and Revolutionary Road definitely has more than the time period in common. It's an era where people dressed up to go to the movies, had a cigarette in one hand and a scotch in the other. Sam Mendes brings his A game and does a fantastic job bringing the world to life and does some of the best directing I've seen from him. The film does however feel a little like "Oscar bait," at times but it's saved by the wonderful performances. The film's ending may be a little too on-those-nose for my taste but the old man and his hearing aid was the perfect cap to save whatever hokiness I was feeling.
I think a lot of people will say "why didn't they just get a divorce and get it over with?!" To them I say "why don't you go back in time and never be born?" The era in which the film is set keeps these two people together and we see them do their best to keep their dignity and sanity in tact. It's not an enjoyable experience but it is certainly more than a worthwhile experience that has some profound things to say about the "suburban state of mind." I think every Oscar season needs a film to make you feel terrible about life, and thankfully this time, Jack and Rose are there to distract us from the pain.
4.5/5
So say we all.
Well shit I'm never gonna get around to writing everything for this site since you keep beating me on this stuff (I'm also really lazy...)
You definitely liked the movie a lot more than me. I felt like it was just a lot of sketches about this couple but not a complete story. I assume that's how it was intended but it really didn't work for me. Leo was absolutely incredible and definitely the best thing I've seen from him. I wasn't as blown away by Kate as everyone else was but I guess that's the nature of her role, not showy at all. Michael Shannon was very good as the mentally unstable son of family friends and I really wish that they had developed his character a lot more. For some reason I'm thinking of another Kate Winlet movie from a couple years ago called little children from a couple years ago that did the bad family crazy neighbor thing a lot better in my opinion. I should probably watch it again but for me this ranks at the bottom of Mendes movies (which isn't really an insult cause I really like his other 3)
3.5/5
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Thanks for this good review. I was able to watch the film last week and Kate's acting is really impressive. I don't have the doubt anymore why she received the award for that.
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a hauntingly realistic film that mirrors even our own contemporary society...great film by Sam Mendes.
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