A wonderful achievement.

Rating: 10/10 (26 December 2008)

I was completely blown away at how brilliant the film turned out to be. It's my kind of film and I knew that I'd enjoy it, but it was more than just an enjoyment. It was a special cinematic experience that only a handful of films have provided for me. The very beginning started off the brilliance. The music, how April and Frank's first meeting at the party blended into Frank watching April in the play, the haunting argument during the ride home. The direction was fantastic. I love the fact that Mendes chose to shoot the film in sequence because I could just feel the characters' frustration growing and growing, everything getting worse and worse. The way Frank and April literally transformed in front of my eyes was perfect.
Speaking of Frank and April, DiCaprio and Winslet nailed the characters without any faltering or faults. Both of them were phenomenal. The facial expressions, the gestures and the line delivery were all spot on. DiCaprio was excellent - the amount of range that he showed, even just with his face, throughout the entire film was wonderful. He grasped the character perfectly and nailed every scene. One of his best scenes was when he finds the syringe in the bathroom and the entire argument that follows is perfect. He shines as Frank Wheeler - I saw expressions on his face that I've never seen before. He balanced the subtle moments, the frustration, the powerful yelling, and at times he didn't even have to speak. His eyes are so expressive. Leo truly unleashed Frank, layer by layer. It was so amazing to watch him bring this character to life perfectly.
Kate Winslet is just breathtaking. I thought she was naturally subtle and haunting from beginning to end - when April proposes the idea of going to Paris for the first time, I could just feel her nearly bursting with excitement. This was a possibility of a lifetime for her, she actually was certain that she and Frank would start living again and then the whole chance smashes to pieces. I thought Kate was consistent throughout the film, and she shines even more in the second half which really just haunted me. Winslet shows layers of herself that I've never seen before, expressions on her face that I haven't seen before. She gave me the chills at times, for instance when April runs into the forest after the argument with Frank and we just see her lurking around in the dark from Frank's perspective. The transition into the next morning when she fights to hold her emotions back when she's making breakfast for Frank before he heads off to work was perfect. The scene that probably got to me the most was April's phone call to Milly just before the abortion, when she doesn't want her kids to come to the phone. She wants them to stay outside and continue playing happily, and then struggling to say 'I love them'. Winslet grasps the difficulty of trying so hard to mutter those words and I could feel her frustration. Extraordinary performance.
The two of them together was even more powerful. Their chemistry was so smooth and perfect. Their interactions during the arguments were quite bone chilling and haunting.
Michael Shannon also wowed the hell out of me. It's such an intriguing performance and when he's on screen, you can't take your eyes of him. He commands your attention and he was haunting. All of this just in, what, 2 scenes? His line delivery gave me the chills. Kathy Bates didn't have that much to do, but she was great and she fit the cheery yet worried as hell Mrs. Givings. David Harbour was pretty good as Shep and Kathryn Hann was solid.
The screenplay was wonderful but a few of the lines were kind of forced in a way. The actors handled those lines well though. Technically the film is beautiful. Thomas Newman never disappoints and he sure as hell didn't here. What a stunning score. The best track I think was during the whole forest scene, and when Frank is frantically waiting inside for April at night. Gorgeous cinematography as well, and Deakins also never disappoints.
I recommend this film to everyone. It's such an astonishing cinematic experience.