November
18
Oscar Watch: Revolutionary Road Review
I saw Revolutionary Road over the weekend, and moderated a panel Saturday with director Sam Mendes, Leonardo DiCaprio (nominated three times), Kate Winslet (nominated five times), Oscar-winner Kathy Bates, theater actor Michael Shannon (W.), cinematographer Roger Deakins (nominated seven times) and composer Thomas Newman (nominated eight times).
First, do read Richard Yates' 1961 debut novel. The adaptation by Justin Haythe is very close; some scenes are staged exactly the way they were originally written. Is the movie as great as Yates' novel? No. But Yates never caught the popular imagination, never sold more than 12,000 copies of any of his seven novels, because he was too searing, too critical of his characters. He held no hope for couples like the Wheelers. He dissected them as though they were pinned insects.
Mendes definitely warms up the book. The movie offers some possibility of hope for the rest of us. It lives and breathes. As do DiCaprio and Winslet, reunited more than a decade after Titanic. She always gives strong performances, but runs with the layered role of deeply unhappy housewife April Wheeler. She's smart and trapped and angry and resigned and still in love with the person she once thought her husband could be. How many women are in that position? What happens when you face up to the idea that your mate will not or cannot become his best self?
DiCaprio, who has never before played a husband and father, is well-cast as the 29-year-old Frank Wheeler, who wants to be more special than he is, but settles for less. (The Bohemian intellectual side of this couple is downplayed here.) How many men lead what Thoreau called "lives of quiet desperation" as they try to live up to their wives' expectations, and often wind up disappointing them? It doesn't have to be the 50s for this to ring true.
Revolutionary Road, produced by Scott Rudin after years of arrested development, is strictly an art-house play--and should score with the Academy. Mendes takes a more realistic and less stylized approach to this dysfunctional suburban family than he did on the Oscar-winning American Beauty. The entire ensemble is first-rate: Shannon got a rousing round of applause at my screening for his role as the insane truth-teller who cuts through all the crap. The movie hits hard: some folks relate to it, others don't.
Here's Todd McCarthy and Glenn Kenny. Green Cine wraps up early reaction.
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Anne,
Thanks for your review of "RR".
Do you see Oscar nods for DiCaprio and Winslet in lead actor category, as well as, supporting nod for Shannon?
Also, what was your take on the performances of the actors who played Millie and Shep ?
Posted by: marilynsummers | November 18, 2008 at 07:30 PM
My wife and I saw this last night. When Frank talks about not wanting to be ordinary and wanting to feel things, really feel them, my wife looked at me in a very surprised way because it is what I have told her I wanted for years. I think seeing this on the big screen made her finally understand that what I feel is completely normal.
Posted by: RJM | January 09, 2009 at 12:31 PM
This is by far the best performances from Dcaprio and Winslet. They both give an stunning performance and portraing the "real" image of the real marriages and relationships. This is a must see film for those who thrive for an emotional involvement because it not only will open up their eyes, but will make them think twice. Its a great film. The Academy will see all these and realize that there is no other way to put it or perform the reality of marriages and what we all call: "love". This is why there would never be a sequel to "pretty woman", because after that, it would all go down hill from there and there is not such thing as: "Happily Ever After" thing.
Great film, must see!!!
Monique
Posted by: NYCMonique | January 10, 2009 at 11:59 AM
BooRING! revolutionary road to nowhere! Granted its fine acting on all parts, and the underlying meaning of life and marriage message is deep blah blah blah but seriously a movie about people whose boring lives aren’t going anywhere? Theres a billion + people on this earth with a billion + intersting stories, and this is the one you choose to make a movie about?? why the hell do you want to waste my time like that?? I’m glad I got the bootleg torrent and didn’t pay money for this. I still lost valuable hours of my life!
Posted by: Dean | January 11, 2009 at 11:47 AM
TO NYCMONIQUE. LIVE IS BORING, EVEN YOURS! HE!
Posted by: VALERIK | January 11, 2009 at 04:53 PM
Abolutely Phenomenal! Kate Winslet was brilliant and not to take anything from her performance, I thought Leonardo DiCaprio was outstanding/superb and he should have also received a Golden Globe for his performance!
Posted by: Maurice Benitez | January 14, 2009 at 06:21 PM
Reminded me of watching a Play - although great acting - terribly depressing and sorrowful
Posted by: Jennifer | January 17, 2009 at 02:21 PM
boring...I got all the points they were making...great acting..but really boring...Actually at one point I hated Kate Winslet so much because she was acting like a child.
Just boring.
Posted by: vecchione | January 20, 2009 at 08:11 AM
Dean, your comment was spot on, I couldn't have put it better myself, although I may try in a later comment if this comment successfully posts.
Posted by: ns2675 | January 20, 2009 at 10:31 PM
I went to see this movie tonight and I must say, it's one of the most depressing movies I have ever seen. Parts of it made me want to throw up. Seriously if this wins any awards, I will stop watching movies. It was by far the worst movie I have ever seen in my life.
Posted by: seh16sbh | January 23, 2009 at 07:02 PM
Was this movie bad or was it the story? The entire ensemble was superb from the leads to the supporting roles. Solid performances. The problem for me is that it was just a terrible story of two people struggling with life's challenges, their situation and all of its baggage, leading them to poor decisions. It makes you say, why come to the movies to see peoples lives fall apart? Nothing to feel good about this train wreck story...
Posted by: Harry | January 24, 2009 at 03:57 PM
i must say i was deeply and truly disappointed with this movie, i really had high hopes for it. But although the acting was spectacular, the plot was just boring and had no meaning. I hated that they were both stubborn and he settles for less while she wants more yet decides to kill herself in the process??? absolutely and utterly stupid. this movie should have had more of an interesting plot it was confusing and just made no sense really. even though i liked the movie, it was definately not worth seeing, if it wasn't for kate winslet and leonardo dicaprio reuniting, i dont think i would have spent money on this movie at all..
Posted by: Sylvia | January 24, 2009 at 10:41 PM
I think if the director had taken the time to show a bit of each characters backround(which would be the true substance of this movie),and had shown what led up to their move to Revolutionary Road, then this movie would have made sense. Intead the movie starts with Aprils failing perfomance with the local players group. Yes, a turning point in the original book, but meaningless in this movie. If you read the book, you will know what this is all about but you will still be dsappointed . If you did not read the book, then this movie is a waste of 2 hours, lacks substance and is down right dull.
Posted by: Diana | January 25, 2009 at 05:54 AM
hated everything about it
Posted by: ts | January 26, 2009 at 07:08 AM
Must-see movie!!!
Posted by: MV | February 02, 2009 at 10:08 PM
We found the movie disjointed and somewhat boring. The acting was very good but we came away feeling like it had no plot.
Posted by: Debbie & Tarra | February 10, 2009 at 10:21 PM
Marriage - buying/settling down in a house - having kids : Three things not to do before 30 and surely not unless you have a well good knowing what it means and what it is. That meaning that its gotta be something you really know how its gonna be and that thats what you want. Not just being half blind and hope that things will go out the nice way as its been going during the 20s age. Be sure that you won't need much more than what you got gives. In order to get that preview live a while as if already married before actualy getting married. Don't just do these 3 things because its supposed to be part of life, cause they're not meant to be if you're really still not sure of them. Because after the decision there's hardly no turning back, not when you're forced to have the responsibilities of house-wife-and kids. Once you seal the box, u cant get out of it, not unless you break every thing within it.
Revolutionary road for me is a reminder of knowing that theses three elements (marriage, buying/settling down in the house of your life, kids) are the biggest decisions of your life and by that mean the most hard to decide.
Posted by: benjamin | February 17, 2009 at 05:02 PM
A depressing movie doesn't mean it's a bad one and this is a masterpiece. That Hollywood can still produce a thinking person's film is astonishing in this superficial world. I think the message that perhaps the "crazy" folks around us are the only sane ones that can see through this artifice is sobering to say the least. We may not have any Antonionis or Fellinis but Mendes will do for now.
Posted by: david | February 19, 2009 at 07:04 PM
Brillant - don't see many moives find them predictable and boring but it's so nice to see a film in which there are no obvious good or bad guys, just a careful and utterly convincing portrayal of real people in an completely beleivable situation. Reading other reviews you get the feeling that a good movie must have a 'dramatic plot' - that strikes me as easy compared with really getting to some psychological truth with a movie like this. I'm so glad Hollywood can still make this kind of stuff. Surely we can take a few films without psychopathic killers or people growing younger or some such obvious and unbeleivable ploy.
Posted by: Martin Butler | February 22, 2009 at 06:35 AM
i just watched the movie and for me its full of meaning i just don't like the ending. What made me realize too is that people tend to fall into the line of getting married and have family. It may be the norm but we don't necessarily have to do it if we're not yet ready, its the children who will suffer the most.
I agree that there seemed like no plot and anything would just happen and you would see them just dealing with it, but don't get me wrong, the acting was awesome, we can really count in our hands those artists that really act like that. all in all, the movie got me watching it and i learned a lot, and thats pretty enough for me to say that a movie is a good one.
*while watching it, i realized that kate's character may work in desperate housewives (yeah i'm a fan) ...
Posted by: ray | June 11, 2009 at 08:32 AM
I just saw the movie, and i had very mixed emotions, i thought it was a great film with awesome acting.!!! disturbing yet it really made you think when it was over. to me it was a very deep movie and very believable. yes it was a tad boring in spots, but the thing is, almost all of us lead boring lives and it was about an ordinary family in the 50's (definitely no assistance back then (not like today)i.e. birth control, legal abortions, physciatric help) and it could have been about any one of us. maybe thats what made it seem so real, just ordinary every day people trying to deal with the hum drum of every day life and then a you hit a few curves in the road there is nowhwere to turn. makes me glad i was born in the 50's and not "just married" in the 50's.
Posted by: Cheryl | June 17, 2009 at 06:32 PM