Seven and a Half Stars--Good Adaptation of a Great Novel

Rating: 8/10 (29 December 2008)

A Reviewer from Los Angeles, CA Minor Spoilers Director Sam Mendes creates the right sensory environment to showcase the acting of Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio by filming on location in NY/NJ/CT, featuring Thomas Newman's cascading score and background music from early 1950s jazz and vocal r&b. DiCaprio looks a little too boyish in the opening scenes, but settles nicely into his mature beyond his years character within the first 30 minutes. He overplays some of the big emotional moments, but mostly captures the emotional nuance of Frank Wheeler's despair. Winslet, with her bottle blond hair and overly precise American accent, at first looks and sounds all wrong for April Wheeler, a character similar to Mad Men's Betty Draper. Despite my reservations, her performance won me over with its emotional resonance from the mid-point of the movie onward. Many actors,including Kathy Bates, Michael Shannon, Dylan Baker, Richard Easton, Kathryn Hahn and David Harbour, shine in smaller parts which provide some comic relief in this emotionally taxing drama.