FilmJudge - Revolutionary Road

REVIEW

Revolutionary Road
2009
Certificate: 15 | Runtime: 119 | Director: Sam Mendes
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Michael Shannon

When Frank Wheeler (DiCaprio) and April (Winslet) first met, the thing they agreed on most was that they'd never be ordinary. They both loved Paris, and want to live an almost bohemian lifestyle. But many years later, they are married, own a house in the suburbs, have two young children; Frank is a commuting salesman and April is a housewife. They have become just like everyone else, and the tension between the two is palpable. Unclear about where to go next in their lives Frank and April fight regularly, but also keep up appearances - particularly for nosy neighbour Helen Givings (Kathy Bates).

Revolutionary Road is, in every way, a Sam Mendes film. It has his subtlety staged look, a visual style that makes the familiar look extraordinary and, despite being adapted from Richard Yates's novel of the same name, it has the same darkly flawed characters familiar to us from American Beauty. And yet, in terms of how successful the film actually is, it's not even in the same league as the Best Picture winner.

Ask people what they like most about American Beauty, and a lot of answers will come back as 'the characters'. American Beauty had extraordinarily rich and interesting characters; Revolutionary Road thinks it does. My suspicion – based on what I have read – is that this might be the fault of Justin Haythe's screenplay, rather than the original novel. So what we end up with is good cosmetics, good acting, but characters who never really compel us to form a bond with them.

Out of the two mains, it's Frank who comes across better. DiCaprio nicely delivers his overwhelming sense of dissatisfaction, but also a degree of resilience as he chugs to work every day in the hope that he might get to live his dream life one day. And at the same time, we get the sense from him that he's actually quite settled in this world of cocktail parties and small talk. Winslet delivers a type of performance that doesn't seem to suit her quite right. She's such a good actress she pulls it off better than most, but there's something slightly too showy and theatrical about her efforts here. Sometimes it feels like we're watching her act, not inhabiting a character – which is what he's so good at. Winslet keeps April bubbling under the surface; occasionally releasing her incredible frustration and anger. But this is really all these two characters have; rage, resentment and an almost hidden sense of mutual loathing. Therefore, their interplay isn't that good to watch; not because there's anything intrinsically wrong with having to watch the couple squabble, but because there's no desire to really see them resolve their issues. Whereas American Beauty had characters with flaws and strengths, and allowed us to see both in order to judge them. Revolutionary Road is a big bucket of flaws and not much else.

There are some good supporting performances. Bates – in what is something of a Titanic reunion – is very effective as Helen. She's the sort of woman who tries to be well-meaning, but has absolutely no instincts or a proper understanding of people. And also well worthy of a mention is Shannon as Helen's adult son John. He was the only member of the cast to receive an Oscar nomination, and I can actually see why. He's only in the film for a few scenes, but is blessed with a character who is genuinely interesting. John is a bitter and twisted person, but also someone who isn't afraid to speak the truth. Indeed, he has seen how storing resentment in a relationship can be disastrous. So as he chips away at the happy vernier Frank and April have tried to establish, it's legitimately brilliant to watch.

Being a Mendes film, Revolutionary Road isn't flamboyantly shot – in fact, there are (deliberately) times when it looks like it could be on a stage. Roger Deakins's cinematography is picturesque and incredibly detailed – resembling a 50s postcard – but deliberately veers away from being conventionally glossy. And Thomas Newman pops up with another of his chilling and almost minimalist scores. And yet despite all the director's cosmetic hallmarks being present, the one thing the film misses most is a soul. As good as some of the acting is, and as good as the film looks; it frustrates by having characters who are only really defined by how unpleasant they are to each other. There are moments when it delivers some delicious morsels of drama, but this isn't quite enough to fully satisfy our appetites.

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