Dull. Plodding. Obvious, Redemmed only by Kate Winslett

Rating: 4/10 (1 January 2010)

There must be dozens if not hundreds of more interesting takes on "hopeless emptiness" and the despair of suburban existence, trapped in a life not lived. This film treads the same turf as "Mad Men", but without the subtly pace or humour.
I would not have watched until the long telegraphed conclusion of the story, except that Kate Winslett is radiant whenever she is on the screen. She also brought nuanced acting to her performance, though her accent slipped occasionally. DiCaprio, on the other hand, in my opinion, over acted horridly, displaying anger, confusion, passion, all by shouting and glaring.
The pacing was tedious - too many lingering shots of people staring off into their souls; too many cars pulling into driveways. It felt as padded as a 1960s bra.
Zoe Kazan in a small role as DiCaprio's office fling was a pleasure, but there were too few of those. None of the characters except Winslett's show more than two dimensions.