Revolutionary Road (2008)

Directed by: Sam Mendes | 119 minutes | drama, romance | Actors: Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Kathy Bates, Kathryn Hahn, Michael Shannon, Max Casella, Zoe Kazan, Ryan Simpkins, David Harbour, Dylan Clark Marshall, Kristen Connolly, Ty Simpkins, Sean Cullen, Timothy McCartney, Lorian Gish, Maria Rusolo Adam Mucci, Jared Morrison, Jason Etter, John Behlmann, Timothy Warmen, Will Vought, Jonathan Roumie, David Campbell, Mary DeBellis, Brennan McKay, Evan Covey, Jay Ferraro, Les Gardonyi, Gregory Guy Gorden, Zoe Hartman, Rob L. Hubbard, Cristina Marie, Sean Marrinan, Chris Miskiewicz, Robert Niebrzydowski, Carly Petrina, Jay O. Sanders, Harry L. Seddon, Kal Thompson, Arnold ‘Doc’ Watson, Gail Yudain, Ted Yudain

The American film ‘Revolutionary Road’ tells a story that has been brought to the screen many times before. The oppressive life in Suburbia has previously been featured in films such as ‘Little Children’, ‘American Beauty’ and ‘The Ice Storm’; we still remember the social narrow-mindedness of the 1950s from the beautiful ‘Far from Heaven’. Although ‘Revolutionary Road’ has little to add to its famous predecessors, it is a beauty of a film.

In part, that’s because of the great team that director Sam Mendes (“American Beauty”) gathered around him. Thomas Newman provided a modest and beautiful score and Roger Deakins provided the equally modest and beautiful visuals. With wife Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio, Mendes had two of the best actors of their generation. Winslet, in particular, is phenomenal as the desperate April Wheeler, a woman who sees all her dreams and ambitions stranded in a life full of grind. Doubt, hope, despair and aggression alternate in a role that must have been emotionally grueling for the actress.

Another strong point are the razor-sharp dialogues. ‘Revolutionary Road’ is not only about a life of mediocrity but also about the most deadly weapon of the educated man: the word. Those words cause enormous damage, but at the same time hide the true intentions of the characters and play an almost perverse role in relational power games. And then when a character who speaks the truth comes along, like the mentally disturbed son of friends of the Wheelers, the battlefield is completely out of control. Significantly, the happy moments in the film – and there are rarely any – are the moments when there is silence or dancing, or when the sound is simply turned off.

Because important matters in ‘Revolutionary Road’ are often hidden behind lies and forced facial expressions, the film is somewhat more accessible than its famous predecessors. In addition, the story, unlike for example ‘American Beauty’, hardly has any perspective, which makes viewing an emotional exhaustion. Moreover, there is no consolation at the end, and many viewers will also fall raw on the roof. But for those who are open to it, this bile-soaked cross between ‘Little Children’ and ‘Far from Heaven’ is a drama not to be missed. Not innovative, but very strong.