"The American Nightmare"

Rating: 8/10 (8 January 2009)

"I cannot walk through the suburbs in the solitude of the night without thinking that the night pleases us because it suppresses idle details, just as our memory does. "  Jorge Luis Borges
Even though Sam Mendes' Revolutionary Road is set in the suburbs, the reality is, that it is set in a dream world, an illusion; The illusion of purpose, of ones place in society and of what we are 'supposed' to do. We are supposed to get married, we are supposed to have children, and we are supposed to move to the quite suburbs and raise a family. Why? Because that is what everyone does, what everyone has done, and is the ingrained belief that everyone will continue to follow; there is no other reason, it's the blind leading the blind. That is the message that perforates the film, and is the hell that consumes the lives of April and Frank Wheeler. Revolutionary Road is and intricate and intimate portrait of how the so called 'American Dream' is sometimes the 'American Nightmare'.
They were happy once. Frank Wheeler (Leonardo DiCaprio) was fresh from the horror, but freedom of the war and April (Kate Winslet) has great aspirations of becoming an actress. Married and in love, the couple buy a modest but quaint house on Revolutionary Road. But nine years later, two children and two crushed ambitions later, the doldrums and encroaching insanity of suburban life consumes the Wheeler's. Frank has an affair with a new co-worker, at a job he cannot stand, and April plays the role of mother, jumping about a few tired stage plays in a desperate attempt to feel alive. Following an explosive confrontation, April pitches the idea that they simply up and leave for Paris, the place Frank (that he visited during the war) said is the only place he ever felt truly happy and vibrant. But an unexpected pregnancy and a new promotion at work stifle their globe trotting plan, and the two spiral into despair.
Sam Mendes is no stranger when it comes to dealing with the pressures of suburban life, and as with his masterpiece American Beauty the simplicity of the narrative works to great effect. Unfortunately, there are a number of things that keep this film from reaching such heights, yet I assure you it is not the performances of the leads, with Winslet continuing her streak of stellar work and DiCaprio exploding onto the screen with some of his best work ever. Some of the supporting cast is less effective, such as a neighbour's son (Michael Shannon) who is given a reprieve from the mental institution where he stays. Visiting the Wheeler's he openly spouts profound insights into the horrors of conformity, and in turn, cranks up the subtlety of the films message to a sledgehammer across the face. I am not sure of this characters role in the novel, but I assume something was lost in translation.
With the highs and lows of the relationship, Mendes seems to follow suit with the screenplay which is at times astoundingly emotional and disturbing, and at times ghostly and uninvolving. The characters themselves are not particularly likable, but the film is so haunting, especially when completely over, it is hard not to recommend. There is, however, a fine line between a film that is tragic and one that is depressing, and Mendes is very close to crossing the line. But so well shot, so well scripted and with such powerhouse performances, it is still a solid success. Kate Winslet's character once quips, "You never forget the truth, you just get better at lying." and with Revolutionary Road it is nothing but brutally honest, and is sure to have those people dreaming of that white picket fence and two car garage seriously re- examining their 'dream'.
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