Breath-taking and emotionally gripping film

Rating: 10/10 (5 February 2009)

This was flat-out, out of the best movies I've ever seen. But I have been reading some comments about this movie and I want to clear some things up.
April is NOT selfish! She really loves Frank and would do anything to make him happy. She and him and both miserable in suburbia and she knows that Frank hates the job he works at. So she suggests that they go away. She only says Paris because she knows it's one of the only places he's ever been to that makes him feel "alive". She wants him to find a job that makes him happy. In fact, I firmly believe that if he told her he wanted to be a flamingo dancer, she would buy him the suit and let him do the can-can all over the house if it made him happy.
When he accepts her offer to got to Paris, she feels that everything will be perfect. But then she hears him on the beach telling someone else about the job offer. She is crushed, not only because she was the last to know, but because it was like he was stomping on her dream of happiness for the family.
She decides then that she's done...that she just can't handle it anymore. She is tired of living a lie that she is happy when she knows full-well that she isn't. She loves him but frankly, marriage and kids is draining the life out of her. I think when she heard what she heard on the beach and Frank said, "Why don't you let that be my business," or whatever he said, he was basically telling her it was his life and to stay out of it.
That's why the whole fight in the woods scene happened...she had made up her mind. She wanted out. You may not agree with her decision, but I can definitely understand it.
And Frank is not a bad man. Yes, I am aware that he cheated on April. But so did she. He's the type of man that needs to be loved and appreciated. I think he felt he wasn't getting that with April. He loves her and cares about her but she's a lot for him to handle. Especially in the opening scene when they get into a fight about the play. He can see that she is hurting that it bombed and he wants to make her feel better. But he doesn't know what to say and whatever he says, is wrong to April because she's already in a terrible mood. And you know men...they mean well but sometimes they are totally clueless.
And he felt awful about cheating. Did you see the close-up when April and the kids sang happy birthday to him. He felt like the biggest jerk!
The acting was amazing. Leonardo DiCaprio was unbelievable as Frank. In the scene where April tells him she hates him and he cries, it ripped me apart inside. I don't know...something about men crying bothers me. Kate was wonderful as usual. I hope she wins that Oscar. The best thing about this movie was that DiCaprio and Winslet could speak volumes without saying a single word. It was all in their eyes.
Sam Mendes is a genius! Anyway, I think I'm rambling now so I'll leave you to decide for yourself what you think of this movie. I, as you can see, fully enjoyed it.