Revolutionary Road Review

This year there was a lot of talk about the reunion of Leonardo Dicaprio and Kate Winslet, who have not worked together since the mammoth success of Titanic.  That being said I found myself wishing that the two were still seeking icy refuge since their chemistry has not embraced the screen as well as it did back in 1997, when their pairing worked so well.

We now have the two talented actors working with a contrived script that promises more than it can deliver.  The film is riddled with clichés and foreshadowing that can be seen from miles away.  despite the film’s weaknesses there are some fine performances, especially from supporting actor Michael Shannon and lead actor Leonardo Dicaprio.  Dicaprio has never seemed more adult and in control of his talent as he does in this film, and here with Winslet he shines.  I only wish that the film, which tries to dissect the American marriage of the 50′s would show the effects this decline has on the children, as opposed to quick solutions.

The film tells the story of Frank Wheeler a young man who tries to live life to its fullest, he meets a beautiful woman named April played by the beautiful Kate Winslet, the two of them marry and begin living the American dream.  A white picket fence, two children, a beautiful home, and neighbors create the illusion of bliss.  Only when the couple get tired of this difficult fallacy, they wish for change and decide to move to Paris as a way to escape their hollow existence.   External circumstances derail that plan and the couple try once more  to reconnect to their piece of the American dream. 

Because this is oscar winning director Sam Mendes’ first film since his far superior Jarhead, and because I know this comes from such a beloved book, I figured that the script would write itself.  But  every scene seemed a bit to meticulously planned, and the actors are never not centered in the frame.  This is not to say the film did not have things that I did appreciate, as the film did take chances. It also does envelope you in it’s 1950′s atmosphere and repressed family life, but in the end it feels uneven and leaves you wanting more as the film never really peaks until the 3^rd act, and is filled with completely unlikable characters.

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