Revolutionary Road

Revolutionary Road is an adaptation of the classic Richard Yates novel which follows the Wheelers; your average, starry-eyed suburban couple growing up in the 1950's, starting career and family. The tagline "how do you break free without breaking apart?" sums up the despondence and sense of hopelessness that bubbles to the surface - marring the picture perfect existence that they both admire and despise.

April and Frank, played by Kate Winslett and Leo DiCaprio respectively, embody the spirit of the characters intended by Yates. April finds herself raising two kids, keeping the home, and giving the appearance of a happy, young wife and mother. There is something missing however, and her struggle is to define and capture it. Frank is a rising star as a salesman for the company that his father toiled at for his entire career. He is finding comfort in the normalcy of his respectable place, yet realizes that there is something robotic and inhuman about his life.

Together, they begin to scrutinize the inane rules that dictate their silly lives, and hatch a plot to cash in their assets and move to Paris to experience life the way it was meant and the way that they have both always wanted. Met with disapproval by friends and neighbors, they begin to make preparations, but the old adage - "best laid plans" sums up the tragic turn of events that follow.

The story is depressing enough to discourage a large portion of the prospective audience - This film will turn off the Titanic faithful as much as Saving Private Ryan did for the Matt Damon crowd. The two of them are wonderful together. Their relationship is so natural that it seamlessly integrates the characters into the story and actually evokes some feelings of unease as the director is Winslett's real life husband (Sam Mendes).

Mendes has propelled himself to the A-list as a unique and premier filmmaker over the past decade with American Beauty (for which he won an Oscar), Road to Perdition, Jarhead, and now Revolutionary Road. His directorial style is subtle, and can really only be recognized during a few scenes - one in particular near the end of the film that brings chills just thinking about it.

The supporting cast is wonderfully complementary to the leads with the exception of Michael Shannon. He plays the son of the Wheeler's real estate agent who has been institutionalized, although holding a PhD in mathematics. The Wheeler's agent (Kathy Bates) brings him over for some much needed socialization, and he steals every scene he touches.

He plays crazy with such ease, that he has been type-cast over the years. This may have to do with his lack of Hollywood looks, but he is a great actor, and has been for years. The irony of his character is that the Wheelers see him as the only other person who sees the hypocrisy and hopelessness in society and the underpinnings of their bond borders on insanity itself.

I thoroughly enjoyed this film. The adaptation was represented more tastefully than it could have been, and the actors and director are fully in their elements. I do agree with some critics that the content of the film will prevent major awards from befalling any of them - with the exception of Winslett. She delivered the finest performance by an actress that I have seen this year, and her hard work and numerous nominations will finally pay off with this one. DiCaprio was equally as captivating, but this won't be his year. He deserves a nomination, but is up against too much competition to win. If he continues choosing great scripts and projects, he will be a multiple Oscar winner before his career is over.

Mendes adds to his already impressive resume, and is taking a turn to comedy in his next couple of projects. A little disappointing to me, but I'll let the work speak for itself. Expect nominations for the leads, and maybe a dark horse supporting actor nod for Shannon. Best Picture and Director are maybes at this point. I will put them in the nominated category on my ballot, but that doesn't count for much. 9/10.