(UWire) This holiday movie season has been unusual in that so many of the most talked-about films have actually lived up to the hype. ‘Milk’ is just as socially conscious and inspiring as its ads make it out to be, ‘Doubt’ provides a ton of what its title promises, and ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’ makes for just the right combination of Forrest Gump and Roald Dahl.
Yet sitting amongst these high-concept projects and heart-rending performances is a giant fraud. It certainly looks like an Oscar winner and sounds like an Oscar winner, and it may well end up being an Oscar winner, but that doesn’t necessarily make it a good story.
It’s true that Paramount Vantage’s ‘Revolutionary Road’ seems like a sure thing. When taking a cursory look at the movie on Wikipedia or IMDb, there is much to be excited about. Of course there is the cast, which for the first time reunites the leads of ‘Titanic,’ Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet (not to mention the unsinkable Kathy Bates). Then there’s a proven director in Sam Mendes (‘American Beauty’) telling his type of story. Finally, the subject matter is undeniably compelling: The film tells the story of Frank and April Wheeler, a pair of 1950s suburbanites whose marriage seems perfect on the surface yet who in reality loathe their lives and each other.
And yet, despite all the movie has going for it, it fails to deliver. From start to finish, the film ‘mdash; like the Wheelers’ marriage ‘mdash; is compelling in theory yet unsatisfying in practice. This much is evident right from the opening scene, a long argument on the side of a road between Frank and April that becomes very intense very quickly. It’s a bold start to the story, and an interesting attempt at a hook by screenwriter Justin Haythe. Yet the scene itself, which takes place before the audience knows anything about the characters, is remarkably tedious. After all, the audience does not know the Wheelers yet, they don’t like the Wheelers yet, and they don’t particularly care about the Wheelers’ problems. All the scene really amounts to is 15 minutes or so of ‘acting.’
From that scene onward, the film is clear to the point of being heavy-handed in suggesting that its story is universal, a searing portrayal of the quintessential ’50s American couple. Yet in its attempt to capture the dissatisfied spirit of that entire generation, the movie quickly becomes bland and trite. Frank and April constantly spout vague, virtually meaningless clich’eacute;s about how unhappy they are deep inside, and when the other characters try to make them feel better by saying things like, ‘You’re special,’ or, ‘You’re the Wheelers,’ there is simply no emotional resonance. The audience hasn’t been given any reasons to like the leads or even see what’s unique about them. The Wheelers do not surprise or endear themselves to their viewers in the least; in fact, it seems that all they really do the entire movie is have awkward dinners, carry on illicit affairs, and throw furniture. Just like the trailer ‘mdash; only two hours longer!
Of course, with all the talent involved, ‘Revolutionary Road’ is not a complete failure. The film’s soundtrack, costumes and cinematography, for instance, are spot-on. In addition, some of the performances and scenes do meet their mark ‘mdash; Bates’ turn as chatty neighbor Helen Givings, for instance, and the movie’s memorable final scene and shot. Yet ultimately, too much of the story is too hard to take seriously, what with the predictable plot, the bizarrely self-aware characters, and DiCaprio and Winslet mustering all of the method acting they know to try and win some awards (DiCaprio with his contrived angry gestures and Winslet with her flat American accent). ‘Revolutionary Road’ will still receive critical acclaim and probably prestigious honors, but only because it seems like it should. As impressive as the movie seems like it should be, in the end it is just a watered-down ‘Mad Men’ with more star power and a lot less authenticity. It is, indeed, hardly revolutionary.
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