Movie Review of Sam Mendes Revolutionary Road
Written: Jan 19 '09 (Updated Jan 26 '09)
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Product Rating:
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| Bang For The Buck |
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Pros: Mendes, Deakins, Winslet, DiCaprio
Cons: Dark subject not for everyone
The Bottom Line: Highly Recommended, one of the best movies of the year with great performances from Winslet and DiCaprio and beautifully put together by Mendes and Deakins.
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| andaryl's Full Review: Revolutionary Road |
As a novel Richard Yates’ 1961 Revolutionary Road may be one of the most overlooked classics that we never got around to reading. It was a finalist for the National Book Award, and in 2005 was chosen by Time magazine as one of the 100 best English-language novels from 1923 to the present. Fortunately it’s subject has been revived as a movie by Sam Mendes. I’m often hesitant to say “fortunately” when it comes to a book adaptation, but Sam Mendes proved his suitability for this style with American Beauty, now considered a modern classic.
Having made its movie release just at the end of 2008 (full release January ‘09), Revolutionary Road is gaining significant attention in the award circles. Kate Winslet beat out some tough opposition to win the Golden Globe for Best Actress while she was also accompanied by Leonardo DiCaprio and (husband) Sam Mendes with nominations for Best Actor, Best Director and Best Drama.
Set in the mid-50’s, Revolutionary Road is a tale of disillusionment and disappointment against the conformity and monotony of American suburban life. This was a time of conservatism, the McCarthy era, a nation barely recovering from the shocks of the great depression and WWII. Amid this was the illusion of the American dream and the propagandistic belief that life was perfect. The story is told through a young married couple, April and Frank Wheeler (Winslet and DiCaprio), two suburbanites who once dreamed big. Now with two children, they find themselves shackled by reality; April an actress whose career never materialized and Jack a big city business commuter working a job that bores him.
Both find themselves disappointed by the life that never happened. While April suffers in the daily depression of homemaker, Frank seems more equipped to handle his monotony by sneaking out for extended martini lunch breaks or finding adventure among the young single ladies of the typing pool. However, remembering their past dreams and longing to reignite passion and excitement into their lives, April suggests a move to Paris. To help Frank take time to reflect and find his calling, April even suggests that she’ll work while he takes time off. Frank is initially hesitant but quickly warms to the idea. The dream instantly sparks new life into their marriage.
In essence, the Wheelers are imagining the kind of dream that was a decade ahead of its time. In their time however, it’s a dream that’s met with great skepticism, even considered naive and irresponsible. To the average American, the Wheelers already have the American dream even to the point of being the envy of their neighbors. Their image is captured perfectly when introduced as “the Wheelers on Revolutionary Road,” an honest and skeptical observer corrects “the Revolutionaries on Wheeler Road.” I’ll hold off on saying more about the plot so as not to give any indication as to the story’s direction.
Revolutionary Road is something of a slow-paced emotional drama. The original material is a deeply reflective and somewhat pessimistic piece. The Wheelers’ marriage is not the idealistic one that outsiders perceive it to be, but one packed with frustration, resentment, anger and fighting. The movie stays true to the original material, but there are two things that ultimately bring it to life; the cinematography and the acting.
Sam Mendes, in his brief movie career, has shown an exemplary talent for creating beautiful pictures. This might be his greatest talent which could be considered as something of a surprise for a director who has made his name in stage production. There’s no better example of this than American Beauty which was visually stunning. Working on American Beauty and Road to Perdition, Conrad L. Hall won Oscars for Cinematography. Following the death of Hall, Mendes enlisted Roger Deakins for Revolutionary Road, himself a seven time Oscar nominee, best known for his work with the Coen Brothers. In Revolutionary Road they capture some breathtaking shots. The shot of the mass of fedoras exiting the train station in Connecticut may be the most memorable, but equally worth mentioning are the moments of solitary reflection or the argument that takes place in front of the Wheelers parked car’s headlights while traffic whizzes by in the background. I particularly enjoyed the use of light to create ominous settings or moments of optimism. The movie certainly stands as a lesson in the subtle magic of cinematographic art.
The finest and most notable achievement of the movie however is the synergy of Winslet and DiCaprio. Winslet has unarguably become one of the finest actors of our generation, her talent is indisputable as she has proved over the last 10 years. In Revolutionary Road she just builds on and solidifies everything she’s done in the past. Her recent Golden Globe Award has to be as much for what she has achieved in the past as she achieves here. DiCaprio’s rise has been something of a slower one, benefiting from his charisma, boyish looks and energy, but it was not until The Departed that I was finally able to accept him as a bona fide quality actor. In Revolutionary Road however he delivers his most convincing performance. He’s torn between going with the flow and creating a new life. In many ways his duality reflects his Departed performance but the chemistry with Winslet just seems out to draw the best (and the worst in this case) in him.
While the support cast (headed by Kathy Bates and Dylan Baker) provides little more than observation or social commentary, Michael Shannon appears as a scene stealer. As the neighbor’s certified crazy, fully grown, genius son he’s allowed to say what everyone else is keeping inside. He’s the comic relief that breaks the darker tones of the movie, but he’s simultaneously the antagonist who makes everyone else uncomfortable while revealing their hypocrisy.
Revolutionary Road is not a movie for all tastes, with its melodrama creating a slow pace and its subject matter (that of a tumultuous relationship) raising some disturbing issues. It’s hardly the feel good movie of the year. However, I found it to be excellent. It draws on everything Mendes achieved in American Beauty. It’s a deeply reflective movie that provides a better understanding of life in the 1950’s than what we see from the Pleasantville style TV shows. It’s a captivating story, beautifully shot around two sensational acting performances.
Verdict: 4 ½ Stars, Highly Recommended
Update: Kate Winslet won The Golden Globe for Best Actress and has a great chance at the Oscars. Many voted for her in this movie and The Reader and since only one can make the ballot she has a great chance with the combined vote.
Recommended:
Yes
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