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It’s amazing how some films get overlooked. Perhaps
it was the overhype of the pairing of Leonard DiCaprio and
Kate Winslet for the first time since “Titanic” or maybe
it was the trio of the stars along with Oscar winner Sam
Mendes but “Revolutionary Road” was one of my Best Films
of 2008 (along with “The Strange Case of Benjamin Button”
and “The Dark Knight”). It’s an often uncomfortable drama
(particularly if you’re married) but it’s a powerful one
nevertheless. Winslet won an Oscar for “The Reader” as adept
a performance as that was in my mind she really won for
“Revolutionary Road” the only problem is it wasn’t nominated.
It’s a powerful, thoughtful drama that charts the decline
of a marriage and relationship (they can be two different
things). DiCaprio also gives a thoughtful, powerful performance
suggesting that he’s one of our best leading men an actor
that tries to dig below the surface of the characters he
playing something other than a variation on himself. ***
As we meet Frank (DICaprio) and April (Winslet) Frank
has fallen into his father’s life because he never dared
to dream of one of his own; he’s working as a salesman at
the same company his father worked at while April has drifted
into amateur productions letting her dreams of becoming
an actress gradually wither away. Unlike most films Mendes
doesn’t linger on their romantic past he suggests that the
foundation of their marriage is built on straw and when
the first strong wind comes along it blows it down. They
are in the middle of the house as it falls down around them
oblivious to the winds of change. She has dreams of moving
to Paris with their kids, supporting Frank so he can seek
out his dream only she doesn’t realize that those dreams
would still remain elusive because he wouldn’t recognize
them anyway. Life gets in the way as a promotion sneaks
into Frank’s life and it disrupts the flow of their dreams,
their lives. ---
Image & Sound:
A marvelous looking Blu-ray , colors and detail pop
with a sharp looking presentation. “Revolutionary Road”
looks positively lovely which often works as a nice contrast
to the changes we see in Frank and April’s marriage. ***
Audio receives all the attention that the video does
here as well with a nice soundtrack full of ambient audio
textures and clear dialogue. ---
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