It's no "Far from Heaven", but it's engaging enough

Rating: Null/10 (2 February 2009)

Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio reunite again 11 years after "Titanic" in this melodrama about a troubled couple in the 1950's, under the direction of Winslet's husband, Sam Mendes (whose début was nothing less than the neoclassic "American Beauty").
Needless to say, there was a lot of expectation about "Revolutionary Road", and it's easy to see why some people were disappointed. This is not a Hollywood epic à la "Titanic", but more of a homage to Douglas Sirk's melodramas. In that regard, "Revolutionary Road" is not as successful as Todd Haynes' superb "Far from Heaven" (2002), the ultimate homage to the melodrama of Sirk; filled with wit, magnificent acting (by Julianne Moore in particular) and visual exuberance. Marriage's tough, we all know that, and Ingmar Bergman made a bunch of superb films about married life; between European cinema and old Hollywood, it's a theme that needs to be refreshed to be brought back into life. "Revolutionary Road" is not a revolutionary film, but it is not a bad one by any means; well acted (Michael Shannon, who I first noticed in William Friedkin's "Bug", is responsible for the best moments, and deserved his Oscar nomination), scored with the usual competence by Thomas Newman, it's an elegant piece; however, not to be disappointed, you need to keep in mind you're going to see nothing but a well-made old fashioned story. 7.5/10.