Revolutionary Road takes the American Dream and turns it on its head. Frank (DiCaprio) and April (Winslet) meet at a party, marry and settle down. Upon moving into their new house on Revolutionary Road, the two decide to never settle into the comfortable confines of their new suburban life, only to wake up one day and discover they've become the one thing they never wanted - regular people.
In an attempt to break out of their "ordinary life," April decides that the family should leave their life in Connecticut behind and move to Paris. Frank originally agrees to April's whim, but when the opportunity for a promotion at work rears its head, Frank becomes reluctant to move, introducing tension into what has apparently been a shaky marriage all along.
The chemistry between DiCaprio and Winslet is immediate and helps carry the entire movie. Revolutionary Road is more of a character drama than a plot-driven episode in the life of a 1950's couple. However, Titanic fans hoping to get another dose of Rose and Jack will come away from Revolutionary Road disappointed. The two share chemistry, but spend much of the film in very different places. The two are as far apart as a couple can get, but play the role of happy couple for each other, adding an uncomfortable feeling that still seems to stick around after the movie is over. There are no "heroes" in the situation, just two people making bad decisions in an attempt to confront the everyday monotony of life, or at least what they consider a monotonous life.
As great as the two are together, there are times when it feels like they're fishing for Oscar nods. Some of the more pivotal scenes feel like they go a little too far. I won't say they're over-acted, but you get the feeling that the duo was pushing for something to include in their Oscar reel. They're just a little too much.
I'm also a bit curious about where the kids kept disappearing to. They were in one or two scenes, but for most of the movie remain hidden.
Looking at my Blu-ray collection, I'm beginning to notice that Paramount has been among the most consistent when it comes to quality extras. Revolutionary Road continues the trend with a slate of excellent extras. The commentary with director Sam Mendes and screenwriter Justin Haythe is enjoyable and one of the smarter tracks I've heard in a while. The commentary covers nearly everything you could think of, right down to lighting decisions and why certain shots were chosen.
"Lives of Quiet Desperation" is a half-hour "Making of..." feature that includes interviews with the film's stars, Mendes and others. "The Wages of Truth," a feature exclusive to the Blu-ray version, is a short documentary on the life of Richard Yates, whose novel served as the basis for the film. I'm not familiar with Yates' work, so I found the background information, which includes interviews with family members, particularly interesting. Finally, there's a collection of eight deleted scenes with commentary.
If you're looking for Titanic II, this isn't it. Revolutionary Road is a tough, depressing movie, which in a strange way makes it worth watching. Even if it seems a bit overdone at times, Revolutionary Road is at least a good rental if you're into character dramas.
