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It begins so innocently: A young man and a young woman
glace at each other and immediately want to close the distance
between them and get better acquainted. Such a moment can
be found in James Cameron’s “Titanic” early in the film,
when the characters played by Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate
Winslet first notice each other despite being separated
by deck levels and social status. ***
A very similar moment can be found at the beginning
of Sam Mendes’ “Revolutionary Road,” and interestingly,
it features the same two actors. Their characters see each
other for the first time at a local party, and they’re separated
more by life goals than by stature. As wonderful as “Titanic”
is, it’s an escapist entertainment, a sweeping, epic romantic
fantasy. “Revolutionary Road” is smaller, subtler, and painfully
real. We know this because the youthful, naïve love the
characters share at the start disappears by the next scene,
at which point they’re already married and having a terrible
fight. ***
Based on Richard Yates’ novel, “Revolutionary Road”
is a brilliant, unflinchingly honest examination of suburban
life in 1950s America, where the outward appearance of domestic
happiness meant everything to the average married couple.
It tells the story of a corporate employee named Frank Wheeler
(DiCaprio) and his stay-at-home wife, April (Winslet), who
live in a picturesque but boring Connecticut neighborhood.
***
Despite the fact that Frank hates his job, he’s content
to stick with it, knowing that he’s expected to provide
for his family. This isn’t to say that he doesn’t let himself
go from time to time. Early in the film, he has an affair
with a young secretary. The fascinating thing is that both
of them seem so casual about what they’re doing; if they
regret their actions, they certainly don’t show it. There
isn’t even a spark of emotion as he leaves her in a motel
bed, asserting that she was swell. ***
April, on the other hand, yearns for something more
out of life than just living in a suburb and raising her
two children. Years ago, she was an aspiring actress. Now,
she’s in a domestic trap as a wife and mother. On the night
of Frank’s thirtieth birthday, she makes a radical suggestion:
They should all move to Paris in the fall. Once there, she
will get a secretarial job while Frank will be allowed to
figure out what he actually wants to do with his life. ***
It takes a little convincing, but Frank agrees, and
for a time, his relationship with April improves. But it
isn’t long before life starts getting in the way. For one
thing, absolutely no one takes their plan seriously, especially
their neighbors, Shep (David Harbour) and Milly Campbell
(Kathryn Hahn), who seem genuinely hurt by their wanting
to leave. But truth be told, there is something a little
phony about the glow that surrounds Frank and April, as
if the idea is more appealing than actually moving. ***
There’s more holding them back, of course, but I won’t
say what. I will, however, take the time to describe a subplot
featuring another “Titanic” alumnus, Kathy Bates. She plays
Helen Givings, the realtor who sold the Wheelers their house
on Revolutionary Road. Even though she doesn’t have much
screen time, it’s surprising just how much we learn about
her. On the outside, she’s polite and upbeat, with a pleasant
face and charming smile. On the inside, she’s judgmental
and, in some ways, just as desperate as April. ***
Helen’s son, John (Michael Shannon), has just been
released from a mental hospital, and as part of his rehabilitation,
he begins spending time with the Wheelers. In the same way
the blind Tiresias is able to see the truth about King Oedipus,
John is the only character in “Revolutionary Road” with
a firm grasp on Frank and April. But as insightful as he
is, there does come a point when the truth really hurts.
***
What I really loved about this movie was the meticulous
attention to dialogue. Every line in this movie felt natural,
going not for obvious dramatic statements but for realistic
outbursts of anger, hurt, and frustration. Even the quieter
moments have an intensity all their own, as when Frank sits
with the secretary at a restaurant; in that pivotal scene,
he expresses--probably for the first time--the disappointment
he feels for turning out exactly like his father. ***
At the same time, there’s an air of epiphany in his
voice, as if he realized right then and there that he was
never meant to be anything more than an office worker. Writer
Justin Haythe evokes powerful emotions in his screenplay,
and he does so without being condescending or cliché. ***
Of course, well-written screenplays are only half the
battle--you need talented actors to make the dialogue work.
DiCaprio and Winslet have such believable onscreen chemistry,
especially as their characters descend into a seemingly
never-ending cycle of shouting matches. They fight so well,
as if they were an actual married couple. After having eleven
years to mature as performers, they may in fact be better
than they were in “Titanic.” One wonders what would have
happened had the ship made it to America and Jack and Rose
had gotten off together. Would the fairy-tale romance eventually
end? Would they grow up to be as unfulfilled as Frank and
April Wheeler? ***
{Blu-ray} Edition:(Taylor Carlson)
As far as recent films go, this is one of the best Blu-Rays
I have seen in a long time. The cinematography of Revolutionary
Road is one of its greatest strengths, and you'll be delighted
to know that it looks incredible in 1080p. The use of color
translates well to HD, with a color pallet that goes everywhere
from drab and monochrome, right down to being bright and
colorful. Fine object detail is strong throughout, and skin
tones never look artificial. Even dark, shadowy scenes have
a good deal of detail to them. Ultimately, it is hard to
fault this transfer.
Sound: This is mostly a dialogue-driven film, so needless
to say, the TrueHD audio track isn't one that is going to
rock your speakers like an action movie. It's generally
front-heavy, but since the dialogue is loud and clear, and
easy to understand throughout, I don't really have any complaints.
It gets the job done, and for a movie such as this, I can't
imagine the dialogue sounding any better than it does here.
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