Revolutionary Road (2009)

Revolutionary Road is the latest film from director Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Road to Perdition). Based on the Richard Yates novel of the same title, the story is about a married couple living in the 1950s suburbs with their two children. Frank Wheeler (Leonardo DiCaprio) works long hours at a company he hates while April Wheeler (Kate Winslet) stays at home as the typical housewife. They are both miserable in each of their roles in life and marriage. Both had dreams of being greater than where they have ended up and their current situation becomes more of a prison than an ideal way of living.

This film is incredibly well written and acted. Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio have great onscreen chemistry that makes the audience really buy into their marriage. It also makes their fights that much more realistic and unsettling. Leonardo DiCaprio as Frank does a great job of capturing the hopelessness and fear of a man who is forced to settle for a life he hates, but is too secure in it to really change. He gives a great performance that never feels awkward or forced. His character is one who wants out of his boring unimportant life, but fears the change and uncertainty that comes with it. He is afraid to even start thinking about what he wants to do with his life. Kate Winslet has a flawless accent as usual and her performance as April is both convincing and memorable. Her character is forced to live in an inescapable routine of being a loving housewife who is satisfied with having a husband and children, while not being able to do anything she really wants in life. Whether or not moving to Europe like they planned would have saved their marriage is hard to say. They may have been miserable anywhere they went. This movie is not about a marriage that works. The arguments and interactions between the couple are so natural and realistic that it can be painful to watch at times; almost as if you are intruding on a real argument in someone’s home. There is very little shown in flashback of their life together before they were married. More of these scenes would have been nice in order to help build on their current relationship, but instead the audience is only given a view into how far their relationship has fallen. Another notable performance in this film is that of Michael Shannon (who was nominated for supporting actor for this role). He plays a mathematician who is residing in a mental facility and meets with the wheelers on two occasions with his parents. He can’t help but ask personal questions and makes accusatory and blunt statements. Of course he is right about everything he says, but he’s unstable. At first the Wheelers kind of like him because he understands their desire to get away, but when things change, his honesty becomes more painful than refreshing. Michael Shannon’s performance is fascinating to watch.

The costumes and sets are pretty to look at, believable, and low key. It never feels like the film is demanding attention to the fact that it is set in the 50s, but instead merely uses it as the backdrop for the two lead performances, which really carry the film. The direction is also worthy of mention and Sam Mendes seems to know how to film in a suburban setting. The scenes in the house are very closed in and give off a slight feeling of claustrophobia, making the audience literally trapped in the house with the two characters. The shots of Frank walking to work in a sea of suits and hats give off the feeling of his loss of individuality and monotony. Revolutionary Road is a very good film with acting that keeps your eyes hooked to the screen from start to finish.