Oh the suburbs, with their cookie-cutter houses, finely trimmed lawns and Toyotas parked in the driveway. It's like a Kodak moment sprung to life, a picture of familial routine and modesty -- or, as Sam Mendes sees it, the place where dreams go to die.
The director touched upon the woes of suburbia in 1999's masterful "American Beauty," and now he's back for more with "Revolutionary Road," based on the novel by Richard Yates. While it doesn't come close to its Oscar-winning predecessor, it's a commanding story that plays like the petulant love child of "Mad Men" and "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" It also marks the big-screen reunion of "Titanic" lovers Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio, all grown up.
Only this time around, they’re not quite so elated to be together."Revolutionary Road," set in 1955, is the story of a marriage that is slowly but surely rotting away. The Wheelers, Frank (DiCaprio) and April (Winslet), were mutually smitten when they met at a party years before -- she looked stunning in a black dress, he made her laugh. They were both dreamers, wanting to see the world, appreciating the simple things, excited to explore all the adventures that life has to offer. So they shipped off to the Connecticut 'burbs, convinced that they'd live the ordinary life while still remaining extraordinary people.
But then the unwelcomed guest of reality crashed the party: He got stuck in a menial office job that his dad once had; her dreams of becoming an actress exited stage left. Their once-steaming passion fizzled out and got replaced by screaming matches in the car. Kids came into the picture along with heightened responsibility and less time for personal pursuits.
"Revolutionary Road" is a movie that will make people uncomfortable. Some will find it refreshingly honest and reflective of their own fears of settling down, while others will find it a loud, vile exercise in abrasiveness that dampened their day, thank-you-very-much. But either way, it's a tough film to shake, as screenwriter Justin Haythe intended.
Winslet and DiCaprio, who play exceptionally well off each other, are both frustrating individuals in "Revolutionary Road" -- there are no victims on display. Their relationship only shines when they take brief trips to fantasyland; reality proves little more than a nuisance. The same is true for other characters in the film, such as realtor Helen Givings (Kathy Bates), whose sunny demeanor dilutes her pain over having a mentally ill son (scene-stealer Michael Shannon). The few times he comes over to the Wheelers' house are among the film's high points, as he shares harsh observations about their relationship in pure button-pushing form, and they quiver because they know he’s right.
When "Revolutionary Road" ends, it's hard not to reflect on Frank's earlier quote to April: "We can be happy … I can make you happy here." He strains to believe it himself as he says it, and she struggles to buy it. There's really nothing happy about this film, but one thing's for sure: It makes a strong case for chasing after the life of your dreams.
