Great Performances

Rating: Null/10 (25 January 2009)

Revolutionary Road (2008)
**** (out of 4)
A suburban couple (Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet) find their lives getting boring and their marriage falling apart so they think a trip to Paris will give their lives a new direction to keep them going. I guess when you break it down this is a film about reaching the American dream of a family, kids and a nice house but then realizing it's not all roses and sunshine. To call this a depressing movie would be an understatement but there's no denying the power in the performances and the strong direction that keeps it going. Some might try to compare this to Mednes' American Beauty but I think the films are pretty different in their approach and what they're trying to say. This movie gives us two characters who quickly fall in love but soon find that love getting caught up in fights over what they plan on doing with the rest of their lives. I think people could look at both of their view points and see something different but at the same time the ending is done so brilliantly well that many people might be coming out of the theater angry, sad or perhaps both. The movie offers up a lot of tough questions about the responsibility of marriage, kids and loyalty but it never gives off any easy answers. Some might want to see Leo and Kate working together again but they might want to reconsider because this certainly isn't Titanic. I've been a major fan of DiCaprio's since I first saw him in What's Eating Gilbert Grape and since then he's turned in a very impressive resume for someone his age. He adds another great character and performance to his resume and he remains one of the most interesting actors out there. There are two sequences that I won't ruin for people reading this my DiCaprio made my draw hit the floor. Both come towards the end of the movie when his wife tells him something that comes as a shock. I won't ruin what she says but the look of pain on his face and turning that into anger was something heartbreaking to watch. He adds so much depth to his character that you can't help feel his pain throughout the movie. Winslet does a great job as well and really nails the character, which goes through quite a few changes throughout the movie. There have been numerous performances of a housewife since the start of cinema but I must say the way Winslet plays the character is very memorable. The two working together just hit a homerun because there's not a single second where they don't come off as a real couple. Kathy Bates is in fine form with her supporting role as is David Harbour as a neighbor. Michael Shannon really stands out as Bates' rather strange son who was just released from a mental hospital. It's rather interesting that his character is considered the crazy one yet he makes more sense than any of the normal people. Everything from the cinematography to the set design are top-notch as well and Mendes perfectly holds everything together with his strong direction and key eye for knowing how to bring out the biggest emotions out of a few words. This certainly isn't an easy movie to watch but it does leave you with a lot to wonder about and that's something we need more of in today's cinema.