Revolutionary Road (Sam Mendes)

Frank and April Wheeler (Leonardo Di Caprio and Kate Winslet) had big dreams for their futures. But several years down the line they find themselves stuck in the typical suburban mould with a house in a nice neighbourhood, two young children and Frank stuck in a job he loathes. They come up with a plan to move to Paris and be free, but it seems that they make fall apart before they get that chance.
It's been 11 years since Winslet and Di Caprio had that romance on the boat called Titanic and it's wonderful to see them together again. Sadly the romance here isn't as sweeping and beautiful as Jack and Rose's. April and Frank are deeply unhappy with the routes their lives have taken and have begun to take that deep hatred out on each other. Love does exist between the pair but the dissatisfaction of their present and future is too much to contain. Mendes captures the unhappiness of not just the Wheelers but the entire cast of characters. People have dreams and they are often left to turn to dust, instead returning to the monotony of their actual lives. It's also a rather harsh dissection of marriage and it's pitfalls. The scenes of life in the 50s are wonderfully shot and rather beautiful. If you liked Mad Men you'll love this. The constraints that family life placed on April and Frank evoke both pity and a little anger in the viewer. April in particular is rather unlikeable. The main problems with the script, adapted from the novel by Richard Yates, lie in the unanswered questions about why they are unhappy. The monotony is understandable but her constany belief that they are somehow special is grating. The mentions of the dullness of family life don't make much sense when the kids appear so little as well.
Performance wise, I can't fault anyone. Di Caprio has a sensitivity hidden underneath his character's anger that makes him easy to pity. He knows how to make a devastating impact and I applaud him for that. Winslet is also brilliant. It's been a great year for her. April often isn't easy to understand or even like but she fills her with such pain and confusion that it helps in your understanding of the suburban housewife. The battle between husband and wife is like a car crash, one that we all fear. Their emotions flicker and change so often, you wonder how things are going to change with every scene. They are often cruel and it's wholly depressing to watch but both actors bring everything they've got to the roles. How refreshing to see another Titanic star, Kathy Bates back on screen in a role worthy of her talents. Her character isn't in many scenes but she is superb. The only cast member to be acknowledged in the Oscar nominations is Michael Shannon, as Bates' mentally ill son. In two scenes, he unleashes an acid tongue and brutal honesty on the Wheelers, letting them know just how bad their lives are. Nobody else will say what they really mean in the film and it's left to Shannon to address the problems. It's a stunning performance that may have been overlooked because of the bigger names in the film, but I'm glad it wasn't.
It's a darkly pessimistic tale that suggests your dreams will never win over reality. Watching the Wheelers fall apart at the seams even as they fight the inevitability of it all is heartbreraking. It's compelling stuff but don't go in expecting Titanic 2. Some questions go unanswered and it's not an easy watch but it's wonderfully directed, acted and told.