Talkin' 'bout a revolution

Finally got around to watching Revolutionary Road last week. Dang. It's definitely a tough movie to watch (which strikes me as very Kate Winslet these days. Make a HAPPY movie, Kate!!), but it smacks of reality in a thought-provoking and almost gut-wrenching way.

Winslet plays April Wheeler, a stifled suburban housewife, opposite Leonardo DiCaprio's Frank Wheeler. In the 1950s, the couple marries and moves out of the city due to an unexpected pregnancy. Their dreams of living abroad, treading the boards, etc., are pushed aside to make way for the realities of life with two kids.

One day, April comes up with a novel idea - chuck it all and move to Paris. After some persuading, Frank agrees, and the two begin planning their adventure. As they do so, April and Frank are happier and more in love than they've been in a long time. However, another unplanned pregnancy dashes their dreams of living abroad, and their lives together crumble as a result.

This movie is a study of two things: social mores of the 1950s and the disintegration of a marriage. Both illustrations are fascinating. Performances are more than solid (Both Winslet and DiCaprio are masterful in some of the final scenes. ), and the careful recreation of 1950s suburbia is remarkable to observe.

Worth seeing, but not if you are looking for feel-good entertainment.

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