Is director Sam Mendes in the midst of a trilogy on suburban angst? Perhaps. Judging from his previous film, the Oscar winner "American Beauty" and now "Revolutionary Road", it seems to be a recurring theme which he tackles with relish and just a touch of pretension. Based on a book from the 1960s by Richard Yates, this is the story of a young couple living in the fabulous fifties who seem to have it all yet long for something more and find themselves stifling in a suburban box full of the typical requirements: a nice house, a nice job, two kids, shallow friendship with the neighbors and nowhere to go but Paris. April and Frank Wheeler (Kate Winslet and Leonardo Di Caprio) are the golden couple of the neighborhood, admired by their busy body realtor Helen (Kathy Bates), envied by their best friends Shep and Milly (David Harbour and Kathryn Hahn) yet miserable and combative behind closed doors. This couple has a lot of fights. Frank hates his job in an office surrounded by lifers who have nothing in common with him. April despises the limitations of life as a wife and mother, longing to chuck it all and move to Paris where she and Frank might start over and somehow magically discover what they really wanted out of life.
Like the book, there's something distancing in the film about Frank and April as characters but something all too familiar about their plight and inexplicable unhappiness. Trapped in a prison of their own making they're chronically miserable people with dreams which have refused to die or to come true. April in particular begins to crack under the inability to change her predicament, while Frank dallies with one of the secretaries at work and their friend Shep secretly pines after April. There's a brief respite in the Wheelers' misery when Helen's son John (Michael Shannon), who's been institutionalized for mental problems, begins visiting the couple as a way of helping his socialization skills. John is refreshingly blunt and insightful about the suburban lifestyle he observes, as well as being quite intelligent and slightly dangerous. It's easy to see why Michael Shannon has been nominated for Best Supporting Actor by the Academy. He's mesmerizing in his few scenes and could have used more screen time with this strange and complicated character.
Things to love about this movie: An exhilarating scene in a roadside bar where April dances with Shep; amazing performances from Kate Winslet and Leonardo Di Caprio who still have plenty of chemistry; perfect period details; an effective soundtrack (love that opening song "The Gypsy" by the Inkspots); the suggestion that marriage and kids might not be enough for everyone and don't guarantee happiness
Things to hate about this movie: Frank and April's relentless quarreling becomes tiresome and not enough time is devoted to showing us the younger versions who were passionate about living life to the fullest
Pleasant surprises: The book's devastating ending is kept intact for the film; actor David Harbour is the perfect realization of the character Shep from the book
Unpleasant surprises: The movie could have used more of the book's character details and background to make Frank and April a bit more appealing; lack of an Oscar nomination for Winslet
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2 comments:
I really enjoyed reading your perfectly balanced review of this film, so much more balanced than my own reaction.
I came out of the theatre feeling as though I had just spent several hours with 2 of the most annoying self absorbed characters I have ever met. Frank and April have an unjustified sense of their own importance and it's difficult to see any hint from Frank as to why April should find him the most fascinating man she's ever met.
I didn't see a hint of the kind of passion that would give rise to two people risking an opportunity to escape the life they hate by having "spontaneous" unprotected sex. Those are my things to hate about this movie.
In my short list of things to love,I do agree completely with your assessment of the supporting characters Shep and Helen's son John, two of the strongest elements in the film.
Sam Mendes captured the stifling conformity of the 50's well although I did think the scene of Frank going to work surrounded by men who were dressed identically to be somewhat lacking in subtlety.
Still Friends???
Thanks for your comments Joan. I agree with you about a couple of your points, especially the scene with Frank going off to work amidst a sea of similarly dressed guys (heavy handed indeed) and also the unplanned pregnancy, although Frank & April are capable of the very kind of "spontaneous" sex that causes them such severe problems. I think they're their own worst enemies in many ways.
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