Revolutionary Road

Titanic couple Leonardo and Winslet are back together in this 50s take on marriage and happiness thereafter.

The Wheelers, Frank (DiCaprio) and April (Winslet) dream of reclaiming their lives by trying to move to Paris from their home at Revolutionary Road.

Everything seems great until they find out (the hard way) that they were indeed in the right place, only without the zeal to make it more appealing.

Based on Richard Yates’ book and directed by Sam Mendes (American Beauty) this film centres around the need to rediscover the once happy moments as lovers.

From a flashback of Frank and April falling in love, the film jumps to eight years later when they have become polished but bored and trapped in their own misdeeds and calculations.

April’s acting dream is down the drains and her disappointment turns to Frank, who wants her to talk about her feelings. Such sensitive man in the 1950s America is quite strange. Indeed a very rare even in today’s world.
Finally April comes up with a ‘unique’ and fresh idea of starting a new life in Paris, a plan that their neighbours see as almost impossible. But as said earlier who cares about what others say. For this Frank must quit his job and become a household husband in Paris when April will go to work. Will they be able to go ahead with their plan? That’s when we get the twists and turns of their story.

Perhaps the most noticeable element of the film is DiCaprio’s acting and the costumes, specially the men’s hat.
The supporting cast also lend a helping hand with Kathy Bates as the Wheelers’ realtor. David Harbour and Kathryn Hahn as their neighbours present a perfect protagonist in the plot.

However, the screenplay falls flat sometimes, specially when it comes to the Wheelers’ children. They seem to disappear in thin air after their brief garden and breakfast appearances!

This is no doubt a well crafted film on married life and the consequences of self indulgence.

English (A)
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Michael Shannon, Kathryn Hahn
Director: Sam Mendes