Utterly dreadful

Rating: 1/10 (6 August 2009)

Abotu 20 min. into "Revolutionary Road," my husband said "all three main characters were in 'Titanic." I replied, "I think this movie is sinking faster."
The '50s are certainly a treasure trove of depression, conformity and hidden angst. No surprise there. And depressing subject matter, if handled honestly, can still be cathartic and uplifting even if there's no "happy ending." But really...
The heavy-handed script is like "Human Angst For Dummies." The characters are one-dimensional in their suffering, and the screenwriter has left nothing to the imagination. The script provides no interesting little moments, surprising details, intriguing contradictions or sharply observed behavior. Nothing is implied, nothing simmers beneath the surface.
The first argument scene, particularly DeCaprio's performance, is right out of bad community theater. I've seldom seen such embarrassing scenery-chewing in a "major" movie. (Kate Winslet manages to escape mostly unscathed, but she seems to be just walking through this one.) And I'm getting REALLY tired of Kathy Bates doing her Kathy Bates Thing.
Ugh.
The sets, costumes, etc. are all lovely and perfect. But any episode of "Mad Men" provides all the same surface polish, plus some some actual delving into the human condition. I turned it off after 20 minutes.