Revolutionary Road

Viewer Rating:paula galvin has rated Revolutionary Road rating: 2 Star

Richard Yates novel of a complex relationship between two intelligent,aspiring people whose marriage is failing to live up to their earlier promises and expectations was always going to be difficult to translate to the big screen. The novel carefully depicts the psychological journeys of both Frank and April Wheeeler who,in their own ways are struggling to conform to the white-shuttered,immaculate lawned suburb of Conneticutt. Whilst the film beautifully captures the style of the fifties through smoky lenses and great attention to detail,in terms of clothes,settings and furniture(including hideous wallpapers!),it fails to capture the genuine pain and heartbeak of the Wheelers. Instead we are forced to watch screaming matches between April and Frank which seem borne of ennui and just plain selfishness,rather than deeper feelings. The film's pivotal point arises when April decides ,for apparently altruistic reasons,that they and their two kids(who are remarkable by their absence in the film)will return to Paris,where Frank was stationed during the war and where they will live a creative and 'interesting ' life. This sustains their relationship temporarily and they recapture some of their earlier passion. But ,the genuine struggles they both encounter cannot be shown on screen and instead we are left with a lot of lingering glances and frowns between two characters who come across as quite frankly,unlikeable,he as a selfish misogynist and she as an unmaternal harridan. Much has been made by other reviewers of the appearance of John(Michael Shannon)the psychopathic son of Kathy Bates who seems to perfectly understand the Wheelers and tells them so,in no uncertain terms.This appears to be the catalyst and the denouement is not exactly unexpected. The film is greatly flawed,the screenwriter has left outl some very significant scenes which would have made us more sympathetic to the Wheelers. The minor characters are sketchily drawn whereas a more in-depth treatment of them would have given us a greater understanding of the major protagonists.K ate Winslet comes across as false and harsh and does not quite get the American accent and Leo looks like her nephew ,not her husband.neither of them successfully inhabits the roles. A major disappointment for me.

Review published on the 01 February 2009 13:15