Powerful stuff.

Rating: 9/10 (29 January 2009)

All right, let's get it out of the way. I counted about four Titanic references. How many did you count? The casting of Bates, Winslet, and DiCaprio, the steamer trip to France, making love in the vintage car, and the close-up of Leo's hands while drawing a diagram in front of Kate at the breakfast table. Despite the fine quality of this film, I could not help but notice these things, and I'm sure most other people will, too.
Revolutionary Road is another attempt by director Sam Mendes to show a darker side of the typical suburban American marriage. Though this film won't quite garner the awards that American Beauty did, it is still a film of that same quality. The film deals with a young suburban couple during the 1950s who are coming to a crossroads in their lives. Frank works in the city doing an office job that is meaningless to him. While he's away each day, his wife April tends the house. It is a nice house for a young couple. They have two children who are often off screen and are treated more or less like additional furnishings of the home. Any depth of relationship between the Wheelers and their children is not explored in any way. Early in the film we see April participate in a community playhouse type of production that is universally panned by all that see it. This scene is there to show us how her dreams of becoming an actress are forgotten very early in her adulthood. One day April suggests to Frank that the two of them give up their stale suburban existence and move to Paris. She can do secretarial work while he figures out what he really wants to do with his life. Pretty much everyone they know pans the idea, thinking it foolish. But Frank and April at this point think the joke's on all of them. They are really serious about this Paris thing, and everyone who doubts their dream is simply lame and emotionally dead. Just before the move, two big developments send reality crashing down on Frank and April. Frank is offered a considerable promotion from work, and April learns she is pregnant. From here on, the whole facade of their marriage and even reality itself comes crashing down on them. One argument after another tears the two farther and farther apart. Until finally, tragedy strikes.
The film kind of took me by surprise. I, as a proud life-long bachelor expected to relish in their emotional pain an arguments. But as the film went on, and things got more bleak I found myself really feeling bad and caring for these two. I WANTED them to find an understanding and be happy. But once everything was out on the table, the two had clearly burned any bridges they could have used to come together once more. Kate is wonderful as always, and this was Leo's best work since that big film that made them famous. And Oscar nomination not withstanding, I felt the mentally challenged character was a little bit contrived. Sure, he's good in the role, but I just didn't buy the role itself. That it took a crazy man to be honest with the Wheelers... I just didn't buy that they'd even let him in their front door. Even as a favor to the real estate lady. There are affairs to be had by both Frank and April, but they are not the cause of strife. Just symptoms. I'm sure most couples of today would divorce for even 10% of the problems between these two people. Maybe their biggest mistake was ever thinking they were special in the first place. 9 of 10 stars.
The Hound.