Revolutionary Road (2008)

Just call this film starring Kate Winslet and Leonardo Dicaprio "Depression Central".

The movie, based on the novel by Richard Yates, begins as April (Winslet) and Frank (Dicaprio) meet at a party after they lock eyes from across the room in the 1950's and quickly moves to their life in a Connecticut suburb. They have had two children and Frank is an unhappy salesman at a business machine company in New York and April is equally unhappy as a suburban housewife. They are considered by friends and neighbors as a perfect couple even though they are both seething below the surface. April, who feels that they are special and better than this, wants to pack up the kids (who, by the way, we see a total of about one minute during the movie) and move to Paris so that she can work and Frank can "find" himself.

Not long before they leave, April realizes that she is pregnant. This is not happy news to either of them and there is talk of an abortion. Not long before they are to leave Frank begins to receive recognition and a promotion at work and decides that they aren't going to move, but doesn't directly tell April. She finds out when they are at the beach with neighbors and he mentions it to one of the neighbors. From there things continue downhill as they turn against each other in frustration.

I know that a lot of reviewers are going to talk about how great this movie is and how it is about the horrible depressed lives that show suburban despair, blah,blah, blah. I like entertaining movies and this one just made me feel bad. I don't understand all of the award nominations.

Directed by Sam Mendes (Winslet's real life husband), the film doesn't work as well as his most well known film "American Beauty" which is also a suburban tale. I have to say that the acting in this film was excellent. Winslet (one of my favorites) and Dicaprio turn out fine performances as the angry couple. This film also included Kathy Bates as the couple's real estate agent and, in an Oscar winning performance, Michael Shannon as her mentally unstable son.

Review suggestion by Micah. I give this movie TWO AND ONE HALF STARS.

119 Minutes. Rated R