Frank and April Wheeler have the
life they thought they always wanted – a beautiful family, a nice suburban
home, and a good job in the city. But each feels lost, the abyss of mundane
life has swallowed them up. They desperately need a change. This story takes
place in 1950s Connecticut.
Director Sam
Mendes made what is probably his best film to date with Revolutionary Road.
It is a scouring look at the myth of the 1950s’ ideal American family. Mendes
is one of the great directors working today to come out of theatre – his other notably
films include: American
Beauty, Road
to Perdition, and Skyfall. Mendes worked with a brilliant
group of technicians on the film. Thomas Newman
provides a strong score, while Roger
Deakins delivers his patented wonderful photography (both are frequent
collaborators of Mendes). Kristi Zea’s
production designer is good as well.
The film stars Kate Winslet
(who was Mendes’s wife at the time) and Leonardo
DiCaprio each giving one of their career best performances. The film marks
their on-screen reunion following Titanic. David Harbour,
Kathy Bates,
Kathryn Hahn,
Zoe Kazan,
Dylan Baker,
and Michael
Shannon (who is also electric) feature in support. Revolutionary Road is quietly
one of the best acted films of the last decade, and yet only saw one Oscar
nomination for acting (for Shannon, who lost to Heath Ledger in The
Dark Knight, who gave maybe the best performance of the decade; meanwhile
Winslet was nominated and won that year for The Reader,
but I would argue that she is even better in this).
Revolutionary Road is emotionally
draining and deeply affecting, but it is also a must-see for fans of
brilliantly directed and acted dramas.
Trailer: Here
Great flick! Almost as tough to watch as blue valentine is
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