Customer Reviews

Revolutionary Road

5 star:		(59)
4 star:		(59)
3 star:		(30)
2 star:		(32)
1 star:		(33)

 

 

Adapted from Richard Yates first novel, Revolutionary Road exposes the adversities of a young couple living in a Connecticut suburban neighborhood during the 1950's who simply realize too late that they were never meant to be.

Frank Wheeler (Dicaprio) and April Wheeler (Winslet) feel as though they must standout from all the other mundane and ordinary suburbanites in their neighborhood. Frank, a marketer who works for Knoxx business (equivalent to IBM in those days) machines, is profoundly miserable at his job as he diligently works in a cubicle and engages in secretarial affairs with the novice typist. April, a struggling actress, who apparently never received her big break in show biz does not like to talk about her failures.

During the beginning of the film, we are introduced to a quick flashback of how they met at a party while they were younger; Frank exhibits his witty, charming charisma as he gives April the impression of eventually leading a spontaneous life in Paris in the future. However, the viewer only begins to find out that this was merely a sales pitch or a common characteristic of a marketer. On the contrary, April falls for it no less. Fast forwarding to the present, April now lives in an ordinary life on Revolutionary Road with Frank and her two children and receives frequent visits from her inquisitive real estate agent (Kathy Bates) accompanied with her "mentally unstable" son. April feels as though she is leading a very unsatisfying and unfulfilled life. To add some excitement in their relationship, April broaches Frank's former idea of actually pursuing a career and settling in Paris as a secretary because it simply pays handsomely; meanwhile, it will beneficially fit Frank because he can finally figure out what he wants to do with his life. Frank refuses at first because according to him it is just "unrealistic" but eventually obliges because he too feels as though they need something new and spontaneous to reinvent their relationship. Despite the neighbors and Frank's fellow co-workers disbelief in this "childish" and radical decision, things seem to go very smoothly in the Wheeler family; the house they just bought is now on sale, their belongings are packed, the children are excited, life could not be any better.

It all seems too swell for this tragic couple, when suddenly Frank is offered a promotion at his redundant job with a higher paying position, heavier responsibilities, and more importantly a chance to be apart of something great, the computer. Frank refuses this handsome offer from his boss at first because it interferes with their big trip to Paris. On the other hand, Frank cannot resist the temptation and is drawn to stay at this job because of the attachment he has regarding his father. We learn that Frank's father has also worked at Knoxx Business Machines for 30 years. It suggests as though Frank has a yearning desire to fulfill this empty legacy. On a different note, it strongly expresses Frank's inability to change and triumph over his trepidation. This couple struggles to achieve any sort of compromise as their lays a serious conflict of interest regarding their futures. April wants a lifestyle change in Paris; meanwhile, Frank is satisfied working in a miserable occupation with a higher salary. This relationship portrays that conflict of interest incessantly; it also shows how it affects their lifestyle and how they grapple with the consequences. It is not pleasant I rest assure you. (You'll see what I mean)

The bigger picture here is the heavy social commentary implemented in this film at almost every other scene. It reflects and exposes the culture of the 1950's, the struggles of an unhappy relationship, and the fine line between insanity and simply pure genius. It also sheds light upon questions such as what is insanity and what is mean to be medically and mentally unstable? The reality is that the real estate agent's son who is "mentally unstable" by society is the only one that possesses a real intellectual and realistic perception on the wheeler's relationship.(Go figure) The Wheeler's relationship and decisions are constantly being influenced by other people and we see this through Frank's work environment, the neighbors, and the real estate agent. April is victimized as a prisoner of culture and her difficulty of coping with the dynamics of the role of a wife during the 1950's. Some might question her role in the film and ask, well, why doesn't she just get a divorce, or leave Frank? It just wasn't that simple during that time period as it was considered taboo or dishonorable to leave or separate from your husband. April wishes she could leave the house but is drawn back to it like a magnet because she has two children, a husband, and could not possibly earn a lucrative living in those days considering the job opportunities available at that time period. In that regard, April is prisoner of the house, living in an inescapable environment. She is a prisoner living in a prison within a prison. Frank is a mere coward that cannot confront the social obstacles of change. Like April, Frank too, is a prisoner as well. Hence, my conclusion, a couple that was never meant to be.

Personally, I enjoyed this film not because of the setting, or from the great performances, but the realism that is portrayed here in this relationship. It is quite unique in the sense that the film does not sugar coat anything. Not to be too clichéd or anything but it echoes the expression "it is what it is". In that regard it may turn some people off. I happen to cherish and embraced this message. If you like this film, check out "A Doll's House" with Anthony Hopkins. Both are excellent but sad films. They express a similar struggle of a couple resisting to conform to society.

Revolutionary Road is definitely a tough movie to watch (which strikes me as very Kate Winslet these days. Make a HAPPY movie, Kate!!), but it smacks of reality in a thought-provoking and almost gut-wrenching way.

Winslet plays April Wheeler, a stifled suburban housewife, opposite Leonardo DiCaprio's Frank Wheeler. In the 1950s, the couple marries and moves out of the city due to an unexpected pregnancy. Their dreams of living abroad, treading the boards, etc., are pushed aside to make way for the realities of life with two kids.

One day, April comes up with a novel idea - chuck it all and move to Paris. After some persuading, Frank agrees, and the two begin planning their adventure. As they do so, April and Frank are happier and more in love than they've been in a long time. However, another unplanned pregnancy dashes their dreams of living abroad, and their lives together crumble as a result.

This movie is a study of two things: social mores of the 1950s and the disintegration of a marriage. Both illustrations are fascinating. Performances are more than solid (Both Winslet and DiCaprio are masterful in some of the final scenes.), and the careful recreation of 1950s suburbia is remarkable to observe.

Worth seeing, but not if you are looking for feel-good entertainment.

Over the past period I have seemingly endlessly retailed the experiences of my young adulthood during the 1960s, the time of the "generation of `68". That makes me, obviously, a child of the 1950s, the time period of this very interesting movie, "Revolutionary Road" based on a book by the darkly sardonic writer, Richard Yates. I have also seemingly endlessly pointed out my experiences and the effects they had as a result of growing up among the marginally working poor in that `golden age'. I am fond of saying that I didn't know there was any other condition than being poor for a long time. Well, I did find out there was and although in my youth I would still have had a hard time relating to the story line of this film. The `trials and tribulations', then, of an upwardly mobile, prosperous young couple, the Wheelers, Frank and April, with the mandatory two charming children and a nice leafy suburban house in some nice town in Connecticut would have gone over my head. Now though I can a little more readily appreciate the seamy psychologically paralyzing side of that existence.

As graphically portrayed in the film that seamy side (that also provided some of the most powerful scenes in the movie, and best acting moments by both Winslett and DiCaprio), the central driving force of the story), is the emptiness of middle class existence in the 1950s. Cookie-cutter is the word that came to mind as Frank and April try to break the golden bonds that keep them tied to their old life. One of the nice moments cinematically is the sequence involving Frank's routine workday morning ritual catching the train to New York City (along with all the other felt-hatted men, the symbol of success in that period). Another sober moment is when April takes out the rubbish in their deathless suburban tract and realizes that this life is not for her.

But how to break those golden chains? The issues presented here about consumerism, meaningless and vacuous work, the isolated role of women in the nuclear family, the eternal struggle for security in an individualistically-driven society are all issues that got a fuller workout and wider airing in the 1960s (and since). In a sense the `whimsical' Wheelers were too early. They were before their time. However, although times have changed, I will bet serious money that if you go to some Connecticut train station headed to New York City on any Monday morning you will see, two generations removed and without the hats, men and women making that same meaningless trip that old Frank made. Yates was definitely onto something about the nature of modern capitalist social organization. But I will confess something, although I know better now the stresses of that fate, I would not have minded, minded at all, growing up in that little `cottage' the Wheelers called home. That, however, is a story for another day.

"Revolutionary Road" is based on the novel by the always cheerful Richard Yates. Of all the faults in the movie, the worst is that it wallows in that most tried and true of Hollywood cliches. America is a spiritual wasteland. The people who inhabit America, most specifically those of the middle class who live in suburbia, are empty and superficial. They hate their lives and their smiles only serve to hide the anger and sorrow inside their vacant souls. No American ever lived a fulfilling life after getting married, having kids and living in a nice house. If you have a job that is not artistic in nature, live in a suburban neighborhood and are saving money for your kids to go to college, this means you.

OK - we get it.

In my younger and more vulnerable years, I would have loved "Revolutionary Road". I would have loved it's pretensions to art. I would have loved the pessimism of it's view - so obviously fashionable though it be. Watching "Revolutionary Road" and Mendes earlier exact-same-movie-of-a-different-name, "American Beauty", is like sitting at a Parisian sidewalk cafe wearing dark sunglasses, smoking a cigarette and reading poetry (you pick the fashionable dark, brooding poet). Looks and sounds pretty cool, but in reality, not a lot going on.

In short, if you want to see really great actors wallow in contrivances and, if you are a suburbanite, want to know what the creative elite think of you, you could not do better than "Revolutionary Road". If it's art you are looking for, or just a good movie (or just something original), look elsewhere.

Revolutionary Road, set in 1950s suburbia, is the latest movie to deal with the disenchantment that sets in when life fails to meet expectations.

April (Kate Winslet), an acting student and Greenwich Village-dwelling bohemian, falls in love with Frank Wheeler (Leonardo DiCaprio), and soon finds herself living the life of a suburban housewife and mother. April sees herself as a victim of suburban homogeneity and mediocrity, and longs for more than the ordinary life she shares with Frank. The reality, though, is that April lacks the gifts needed to have an extraordinary life. Her one true talent seems to be making other people miserable.

I found this movie hard to watch. At times the movie is as airless as the suburb it portrays. The nasty fights between the Wheelers become wearying, and there is nothing particularly fresh or original in this portrayal of a marriage gone wrong. There's a predictability in the downfall of the Wheelers; it's clear from the start of this movie that no one will find any measure of happiness. All that's left for the viewer to do is to guess how exactly the unhappiness will unfold.

For some reason, I found myself unmoved by April's unhappiness, and I'm not sure if this is the fault of the script or of Winslet's performance. April's despair seems a bit overwrought. Part of this may have to do with the fact that the Wheelers are not exactly stranded in the hinterlands. They live within commuting distance of one of the great cities of the world and yet their social lives seem to revolve entirely around suburban locales. Manhattan is only seen as a place where mind numbing work is done.

Leonardo DiCaprio does a fine job portraying the self-doubting Frank, but it's the supporting actors who are most memorable in this film. Many people are raving about Michael Shannon's performance as a mentally ill mathematician, but I also enjoyed Kathy Bates' nuanced portrayal of a busybody real estate agent.

I also enjoyed the final scene, which injects a bit of dry humor into what has been an increasingly grim affair.

First I just have to say Kate Winslet just keeps getting better with time. No disrespect to Leo, but it seemed to me that in this production that Winslet blew Dicaprio out of the water. Dicaprio has proven he can play a wide range of characters but a '50 suit man-not so much. It's not that he was bad, it's just that Winslet ws just so much better. I could absolutely feel her angst even when I didn't agree with her choices. The book is still in my TBR pile, I can't wait to get to it so see how everything stacked up.

You spend your life learning to live with your own limitations and how they apply to practical life. Then you fall in love, you're mutually smitten by each other's ideals of yourselves... and suddenly, in the real world, you have to live with somebody else's unfamiliar, incomprehensible limitations as if they were your own.

At first glance, "Revolutionary Road" appears to be about the dark malaise beneath superficial success in 1950s suburbia; but I think it really chronicles something that happens in all times and places. We love the best in someone, but we live one whole person with another, and sometimes the compromise is more than we can bear.

A related element in the film is the realization that, as George Carlin once quipped, "Most people aren't particularly good at anything." Frank (Leonardo DiCaprio) and April (Kate Winslet) both reluctantly see that this is true of themselves; but April struggles to hold on to the belief that it need not be true of Frank, and loses respect for Frank when he no longer believes it himself.

I can't call this a great movie, but it's certainly a good one. It effectively examines a fundamental problem of human life: that the inspiration for love comes from an ideal, but the art of love lies in making peace with the realities of two people who are inevitably less than they hope to be. Frank and April could not make that leap, and perhaps never even understood that it was there.

Just recently saw this on Blu-Ray, and unfortunately despite the casting of Winslet and DiCaprio, the film was a respectable failure. I say "respectable" because despite Mendes' direction and the attention to the '50s setting, I felt a sense of "deja vu" to this film that I didn't have to "American Beauty". If it weren't for Michael Shannon excellent rendering of a dysfunctional character, I would probably knock this down 2 stars but in fact his appearance gives this film the needed spark to rescue it from pure tedium. I'm sure the book was very poetic but unfortunately it did not translate to film so well. If you really want to see Winslet at her best, check out "The Reader".

This movie was based on the book with the same title by Richard Yates. I pre-ordered this dvd mainly because of the cast in it. I didn't see this movie in the theaters. I watched it and realized that DiCaprio and Winslet make this movie a good movie. It is about a couple in the 1950's who are not happy with the modern life of those times, and want to break free from everyday life. Like I said, DiCaprio and Winslet are tremendous in this movie. The viewer really feels like they are in the 1950's. Other than the acting, I was disappointed in the film. I don't think all of the arguing was needed in this movie, and I found myself being quite bored at times. Please watch this movie for the great acting, but don't expect too much from the story.

This movie was troubling to watch, but I understand that was Yates' intention when he wrote the book- a caustic and searing portrayal of life in 1950s suburbia. The chemistry between the DeCaprio and Winslet characters worked well (disclaimer: I have never seen Titanic), and the situation was an eerily familiar one for my wife and me: stay in a comfortable but potentially numbing existence, or take a chance and move to Europe (Budapest, not Paris). The dilemmas posed in this film were all too real, especially for the time and place where April's character had few options. The atmosphere of disapproval, from Frank's colleagues at work to the Wheeler's neighbors, was also an accurate depiction. There is a real contradiction between the American cultural enshrinement of individuality, with the condemnation shown when that individuality raises difficult questions about people's own lives and the comfort of conformity. Every character was tragic in some way or another, some more than others, but as real characters they were not so far removed from what anyone could possibly be.