Revolutionary Road: It's a one way street

Rating: 7/10 (31 January 2009)

Stop, before you even attempt to read this review I must warn you. If you are currently engaged, if you are in a happy relationship and especially if your newlyweds, stop reading now. This movie is designed to repel you. This may just be the most depressing movie of 2009. An anti-marriage campaign if I ever saw one. What sets it apart from other movie with the same attitude (The Heart of Me) is that its flawlessly done. Sam Mendes movie looks and sounds gorgeous and not once does it put a foot out of line. What Revolutionary road fails to do however is maker you like it. Its wonderfully made sure, but the subject material is so banal its almost impossible to sit through.
With "American Beauty", Sam Mendes's previous film, we were given at the very least a glimmer of hope. The theory behind that movie was that even in the last year of your life you can live a lifetime over. Here, none of these characters are given a glimmer of hope; in the end it all feels worthless.
It's a movie for a specific audience, an audience I thought I catered to, with this movie however I even had to think twice about staying. It's not that it's a bad movie however, as I said it's wonderfully made. Look as hard as you want your won't find a flaw, its simply a case of the execution overruling the premise, a rare feat but true in this case. Its seems that from the get go this story fails to do justice to the elements Sam Mendes incorporates into it.
These elements, done so flawlessly, include two riveting performances from Kate Winslet and Leonard DiCaprio both playing tortured middle class people living in 1950's America. Titanic shipmates Kathy Bates, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Kate Winslet step onboard for director Sam Mendes' tale of suburban malaise in 1950s-era Connecticut. Adapted from the classic 1961 novel by author Richard Yates, Revolutionary Road tells the tale of a young Connecticut couple whose once-idealistic relationship steadily deteriorates into a ceaseless cycle of petty jealousy and bickering as they strive to retain their independence in the conformity-obsessed world of picket fences and perfectly manicured lawns. Ever since they first met, Frank (DiCaprio) and April (Winslet) saw themselves as special and different.
They strive to form their relationship around higher ideals, though upon moving into their new home on Revolutionary Road, the defiant couple pledges never to be confined by the social conventions of the era. As time passes, however, Frank and April gradually become the very thing that they both feared most -- a typical suburban family complete with abandoned dreams and faded hopes. Frank loses his nerve after taking a comfortable job with a reliable salary, and April morphs into an unsatisfied homemaker desperate for passion and excitement. But April's independent spirit hasn't been suffocated just yet, and when she hatches a plan to head for Paris, her need to escape at all costs stands in direct contrast to Frank's desire to hold on to what they already have.
The score is executed with the same pin price precisions of that used in American Beauty, it feels as if somebody has spent a great deal of time on it. As does this film itself, Sam Mendes may have been so busy with the elements of his movie he may not have realised that the premise he was making his movie on felt a little lifeless. For better use of the word, a downer. Revolutionary Road is beautifully made, but it won't make your day.
Verdict: A film crafter so beautifully it would be a shame to pass it up now. Sam Mendes directional style shine through the dim premise and while it's unlikely to leave any audience member happy, simply due to its depressing nature, it may just enlighten some. You come out knowing you have seen some great performances, brilliant direction and beautiful cinematography, but it is just not a film you love. For my overall rating I give Revolutionary Road 3/5.