Movie Info:
Writers: Justin Haythe
Director: Sam Mendes
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Kathy Bates, Kathryn Hahn, Dylan Baker, Michael Shannon, David Harbour
Rating: R
Studio: Paramount
Release Info:
Theatrical Release: January 23, 2009
DVD Release Date: June 2, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $26.99
Movies like Revolutionary Road are often in a class of their own. They are dramatic, filled with meaning, and yet sometimes painful to watch. They are interesting because everyone gets a different meaning out of them. Some people love them for the strength they offer in telling a story that few movies will tell. Others shy away from them due to their controversial nature. In any case, when the climate is right, when the director is talented and the cast is deserving of such a role, the result is next to none. It becomes incredibly hard to top these films. Revolutionary Road is at the top of this list. It is a movie that will leave you in awe with nothing to say and a whole lot to think about.
There are movies that you know you will love before you even see them. It does not matter how much you know about them. You just know they are going to be something special. The combination of Kate Winslet and any good leading man is almost always a winning combination. Movies like Finding Neverland and The Reader say all one needs to know about Ms. Winslet’s acting skills. Pairing her with Leonardo DiCaprio though, well that ensures not only success, but an electric performance that will leap from the screen and into you.
While the two blew everyone away in the epic romance, Titanic, in Revolutionary Road they show us the depth of sorrow and entrapment one can feel from the modern, suburban marriage. Many women dream of the two kids, car, house on a hill, and a husband with a decent job. However, there are just as many women that hunger for Paris and would die in a mundane, cookie cutter life. This film is dedicated to the couples that seem to have it all, but are just slowly dying in the process of their monotony. As amazing as Revolutionary Road is, it remains a very sad, but ultimately telling tale.
The Revolutionary Road Plot
Frank (Leonardo DiCaprio – Body of Lies) and April (Kate Winslet) are a married couple living the suburban dream. The only problem is that they feel they are trapped in a nightmare rather than living the good life. In the mid-50’s when women adored caring for house and home, April Wheeler would have rather died than conformed. Frank would have said the same thing. It was his one and only goal to not be like his father, a man stuck in a marketing job for 20 years. Yet, more than five years into their marriage the Wheelers have two children and they live in the house on a hill, on Revolutionary Road. The area is one of the well-to-do Connecticut suburbs where New York businessmen live and take the train to work. While April stays home with the kids, Frank goes off to work at Knox Business Machines, a job he hates, and consequently, the same place his father worked all those years.
Due to the couple’s displeasure in life as they know it, they often succumb to bitter fights with one another. April takes her unhappiness out on Frank and he berates her for it. In short, if this wasn’t the 50’s the marriage would have ended in divorce or death, long before this film even started. On Frank’s 30th birthday, he begins an affair with an office girl. Unbeknown to him, when he arrives home he is greeted by his family, who has a birthday cake waiting for him. Along with the cake, April has a solution to all of their problems.
April wants to move the family to Paris. With plans to sell the house and get a job as a secretary, allowing Frank to find his own road rather than walking down his father’s, the couple are happy again. They tell their friends and co-workers their plans and while people seem supportive, they all secretly laugh at the absurdity. It seems like everything is going to work out for the Wheelers, until something happens that shocks them both and changes the entire face of their relationship.
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Replayability:
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Directing:
Audio/Visual:
Revolutionary Road offers a beautiful picture from start to finish. Rarely do I say that something looks perfect, but I was pretty hard pressed to find any issue to complain about here. The 2.35:1 aspect ratio with 1080p looked marvelous. The colors managed to range from bleak to beautiful based on the scene, but in either case they fit the tone well and did not appear dull or distorted.
The flesh tones are natural and the level of detail remains high throughout the picture. Despite the fact that this is no flashy action film, Blu-ray quality makes it shine in ways that DVD just couldn’t handle. This is one of the best quality Blu-rays to come from Paramount in recent memory. It’s nice to see an amazing movie get such a good transfer. Anything less would have been criminal.
The audio for Revolutionary Road has a subtler appeal to it, though it is as equally as suitable as the video. The Dolby TrueHD 5.1 offers a strong and occasionally forlorn track that fits the film perfectly. The dialogue is crisp and easy to hear. The levels are smooth, so volume toggling is not an issue. The score is sad and at times chilling. Like the movie, it prompts you to think quite a bit.
Most importantly, the audio slowly draws you in, captivating you with each element in its bag of tricks. It’s the perfect audio quality for this movie and a well done job by Paramount. Spanish and French tracks are available in Dolby Digital 5.1. Subtitles conclude the audio options and are available in English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish.
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Audio:
Bonus Features:
The Blu-ray for Revolutionary Road seems to have the same special features that are available on the DVD. That being said, in some cases I would encourage you to save yourself some money and just buy the DVD. That won’t be the case here thanks to the beautiful audio and visual presentation that cannot be matched in a DVD. When it comes to special features you receive standards like the theatrical trailer and commentary along with a few featurettes that are quite interesting to watch.
The commentary includes a discussion with Sam Mendes and the screenwriter, Justin Haythe. Mendes is the dominating force in the commentary, but the conversation between the two is good. They touch on their interpretation of the novel and the adaptation that they have created. This includes information about casting and all aspects of film creation. It’s certainly worth a listen.
“Lives of Quiet Desperation”: At 30 minutes, this is a fabulous making of segment. You will hear little (undeserved) back patting and instead you will get to experience some decent interviews from both cast and crew. Also available is a decent amount of insight about the characters and general and trivia worthy information about the actual production.
“The Wages of Truth”: This second featurette is dedicated to the life and work of author Richard Yates. This was quite interesting as I didn’t know too much about Yates before watching this. It was actually one of the best featurettes on this disc and it was wonderful to see the makers of the film pay homage to the author that wrote the book this film was based on.
Next up are around 25 minutes of deleted scenes. Surprisingly many of these scenes offer additional depth to the characters. There are some amazing scenes here, though when you look at them in perspective it’s obvious why they, unfortunately, had to be cut. Still, they are worth watching out of the film if you want to see more exchanges between Frank and April. Commentary is optional with the deleted scenes.
The special features for Revolutionary Road wrap up with the theatrical trailer.
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Bottom Line:
Revolutionary Road is one of those film that is as excellent as they come and yet the film still leaves you with a bad taste in your mouth. The quality of Revolutionary Road cannot be stated enough. Mendes is a brilliant director and he simply excels in movies like this. The cast worked beautiful together, though that is not surprising considering DiCaprio and Winslet carry much of the movie. The result, while painful is also poignant and telling when it comes to the human spirit and relationships. Some people will find that they will not be able to watch this often. Others will love it and make it a regular viewing experience. In either case, it is highly recommended that you see this.
Overall Rating:
Technorati Tags: Blu Ray, Blu-ray Review, Drama, Paramount, Kate Winslet, Leonardo DiCaprio, Sam Mendes, Revolutionary Road, Frank and April Wheeler, Trapped Marriage, Suburbia, 1950s, Kids, Knox
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