Revolutionary Road- A Review

Last night I went to see Revolutionary Road, the film directed by Sam Mendes and starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. I must admit, I was terribly excited to see this film. Not only do I love both leading actors but this is the first time they have reunited on screen since Titanic, over a decade ago. Also, Winslet just won the Golden Globe for best actress for her portrayal of April Wheeler, a truly desperate housewife on the edge.

The film chronicles the marriage of Frank and April Wheeler, a young suburban couple living in Connecticut in the 1950's. Frank works in a cubicle at a steady office job, and April is an aspiring actress and a stay at home mom who watches over their two children. Their relationship is clearly disturbed, however, and they decide they want more from life than the typical suburban cliche that they are living. So they create a grand scheme to quit their jobs and life in Connecticut and move to Paris. The film follows this couple through their fights, infidelities, romances, scheming and more.

The film, for me, had its high and low points. Both performances by DiCaprio and Winslet were staggeringly good. There were also some stellar supporting characters that were thoroughly interesting. Unfortunately that was where my praise ends. The constant arguments by Frank and April were draining and left me feeling without compassion for their situation. Perhaps the film was too realistic for me- I think I wanted something more. I have heard that the original book by Richard Yates is a masterpiece, so I think rather than revisit the film in the future, I shall read the book.

I don't recommend giving the film a miss all together, however, as Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio have exhilarating chemistry. They truly are first class movie stars of the old school variety and even through the frustrating plot, the duo shines like a gem.

If you have seen the film, I would love to hear what you thought of it...

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