Todd McCarthy’s Variety review is admiring enough, with a few reservations. But the performances, especially Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet and what should be the breakthrough of the year, Michael Shannon:
That said, “Revolutionary Road” is constantly engrossing, as it successfully engages the Wheelers’ yearning to rescue themselves from their decorous, socially acceptable oblivion, just as it clearly defines how the “trap” is stronger than they are. The rows, tender moments and downtime in between are fully inhabited and powerfully charged by DiCaprio and Winslet. For his part, DiCaprio often achieves the kind of double register the film as a whole less consistently captures, as he indicates Frank’s thought process in the split second before he decides what to say. At certain moments, the conjoined cerebral and emotional aspects of his characterization summon the spirit of Jack Nicholson’s breakthrough performances around the time of “Five Easy Pieces.
Winslet’s perf is less surprising, perhaps, if only because she has shown tremendous range throughout her career. April is a difficult role in that her mood changes sometimes seem inexplicable, but the thesp makes them all seem genuine, which resonates with Frank’s occasional hints that she’s possibly in need of psychiatric help. Winslet’s starkly etched April is steely, strong and brittle, capable of great highs and lows as well as massive uncertainty.
Pic’s startling supporting turn comes from Michael Shannon, who’s mesmerizing as the clinically insane son of local realtor and busybody Helen Givings (Kathy Bates). He’s a loony who is able to tell the truth about the Wheelers that everyone else so politely avoids; when Shannon is onscreen, it’s impossible to watch anyone else. The limited roster of supporting players has been expertly cast, and the thesps deliver accordingly, notably Bates, Richard Easton as her conveniently hard-of-hearing husband and David Harbour and Kathryn Hahn as the Wheeler’s small-horizons neighbors.
Hollywood Reporter’s Kirk Honeycutt was less wowed, and in fact wrote (SPOILER ALERT):
“Revolutionary Road” is, essentially, a repeat for Mendes of “American Beauty,” right down to the formal camera compositions, repetitive musical chords and shocking death at the end. Once more, the suburbs are well-upholstered nightmares and its denizens clueless — other than one estranged male.
Clearly, this environment attracts the dramatic sensibilities of this theater-trained director. Everything is boldly indicated to the audience from arch acting styles to the wink-wink, nod-nod of its design. Indeed his actors play the subtext with such fury that the text virtually disappears. Subtlety is not one of Mendes’ strong suits.
The movie mostly finds its dramatic rhythms in the, yes, titanic quarrels between its married couple. These lack for true wit or appreciation of rhetoric. Yet they are as toxic, hateful and desperate as any ever committed to the screen between a husband and wife.
I’m really surprised that he would compare the deaths in American Beauty and Revolutionary Road when they are so completely different. Also, there is no comparable Kevin Spacey character, someone who is everyman, with whom most men can relate. The similarities are really more about Mendes’ style as a director, to which he is more than entitled.
37 Responses for "Revolutionary Road, Trades Review"
Sasha,
Thanks for Variety review ; especially liked the complimentary remarks regarding Leo’s performance. I think he is a very talented actor .
But , personally, am MORE anxious to hear YOUR thoughts on “RR” .
After all, everyone else is presenting theirs ,and it is not Tues yet
The Hollywood Reporter gave it a negative review.
Are Variety and HR still relevant? This year I am not entirely convinced by their reviews.
I haven’t found HR’s yet. Yeah, I’m expecting a somewhat mixed response…
I may be wrong about this, but I think the success of RR may depend on women going to see this film. I’m curious if Oprah does a show on this movie.
Oh now I see it. Meh. I disagree. Let’s see how it goes.
Davey, I think that what will drive this movie through awards season are the three performances. I felt that immediately upon heading out of the theater, lest we forget how many voters are actors.
Sasha, good point about the acting angle and voters. From the standpoint of my being a movie fanatic, I know I won’t want to miss this film because of the actors involved. For some reason, I’ve found Mendes’ work on the stage much more moving than his work on film. But I can’t help thinking that because his wife was involved, Mendes didn’t want to mess this one up.
Sasha,
Before, the “RR” shipped sailed, from past performances we knew that DiCaprio, Winslet, and Shannon were talented actors .
But do you feel in regard to each of the actors, that in “RR” the viewer experiences something ‘new or even more powerful’ from each of these actors ?
Keep the sneaky questions for Sasha flying. At this rate we might get the whole review out of her.
That HR review is awfully mean-spirited, isn’t it? Clearly Honeycutt has a problem with the novel, but I suspect he’s let that colour his perspective of the film.
And to review a film that’s evidently such an actors’ piece and then not discuss any of the performances is just perverse.
I’m not defending the film, not having seen it. But I expect a critic in that position to reach a little further.
Actually, Guy, I have a feeling that Honeycutt’s take will be common; some people will be annoyed by these characters wondering why they are screaming at each other and what all of the drama is about anyway. Of course to answer this question requires digging around, either by reading the book or by ruminating on what was on screen. Either way, this isn’t a slam dunk hit like American Beauty was. It’s an odd movie, no doubt about it. I loved it, though, lol. It is just up my ally because it is so sick and funny and weird.
Helena, I didn’t know Michael Shannon was such a star in the making before. And I’ve seen Winslet handle very dramatic and challenging roles before – is there anything she can’t do? But this went beyond what I’ve seen her do before and most definitely what I’ve seen Leo do. Really, it almost comes down to the scenes between them — I will not be surprised if both win Oscars. Maybe that’s a stretch at this point – this is no As Good as it Gets but there is something that happens when two actors go at it like this — a match is lit.
Oh, and yeah, good sex scenes.
Can’t wait to see this movie, and I love DiCaprio and Winslet, but even moreso, I’m glad that this might actually be Michael Shannon’s big break. I’ve seen him in so many supporting roles, and in his startling performance in Bug, and I think he’s just incredibly talented. I’m anxious to see how he plays off of the other actors.
Sasha,
Thanks for reply.
As time has gone by since your saw the screening, would you say the power of the performances, certain scenes stayed with you ?
Do you keep replaying scenes in your head that cause you to smile, wince, laugh ?
As I find aperformances /a movie that really touches you does that , you can’t just toss it aside like a jacket .
This movie is nothing like American Beauty. I’m not a big fan of either, but I liked RR more, probably because Annette Bening’s performance was so over the top in AB that she makes DiCaprio’s sometimes overwrought work look restrained. Michael Shannon’s performance is the first one that could unseat Heath Ledger at the Oscar table; it’s unfortunate that there’s a similarity to the roles, because to me it means “one or the other.” I have a hard time imagining both of them getting nominated. Sasha, what do you think?
P.S. SAG member here, who saw the film on Sunday like Sasha.
Sasha,
When the screening was over and people filtered out, what would you say they were mainly ‘buzzing about ‘…the performances…the film ?
Helena, I don’t know how to answer that question. I am sort of awkward at these sorts of things so I duck out pretty quickly. I didn’t guess how people were responding afterwards because there was that Q&A. It wasn’t just us stumbling out of the theater the way it will be for audiences later. Q&As aren’t really good indicators either, especially when actors are involved because there is excitement at the star power there and everyone wants to be liked and show affection, etc. So there was a lot of applause – but Michael Shannon got the most, definitely.
I don’t want to jinx the movie by fawning all over it (too late) because then bloggers might be inclined to dump on the movie just because they’re sick of people fawning all over it. It’s a petty, dirty world “in here.”
I certainly didn’t think it was without flaws – those flaws, though, become part of the film eventually and I guess the real question is whether it connected for you or not. It didn’t connect with me at first. It took me a while to shake off my irritation at the Winslet character who is a bit like Daniel Day Lewis in There Will Be Blood in some ways, meaning that we have to accept her behavior because she’s a character but we don’t necessarily sympathize with her or “relate” to her plight; in fact, I didn’t relate to her as much as I did to him. I loved the idea of longing for what you don’t have, can’t have or are afraid to have, which I think is the theme of the FILM.
Wait – the scary part is, I mean the really scary part is that somewhere deep inside a part of me does understand April and maybe that’s why she’s so loathsome; how can we forgive in a character what we can’t even admit to in ourselves? I’m using that line in my review.
WOW
It took me a while to shake off my irritation at the Winslet character who is a bit like Daniel Day Lewis in There Will Be Blood in some ways, meaning that we have to accept her behavior because she’s a character but we don’t necessarily sympathize with her or “relate” to her plight; in fact, I didn’t relate to her as much as I did to him. I loved the idea of longing for what you don’t have, can’t have or are afraid to have, which I think is the theme of the FILM.
And I had the exact opposite reaction to these two characters. Hmmm… I am so looking forward to hearing more reactions to this movie.
Sasha,
Do you think the presence of Frost/Nixon and Doubt and their equally strong ensembles might hurt the chances of Revolutionary Road in the BP category?
I’m also glad to see Shannon get some cred. I thought he was great in both Bug and Shotgun Stories and have been kind of surprised casting directors haven’t picked up on him earlier. I guess it took awhile for Barry Pepper to start getting roles too…
Harry, I have no idea. I mean, I thought Doubt was going to be the actors actor movie but it might turn out to be Revolutionary Road. I still no nothing from nothing, though, so it’s a wait and see.
I’m glad there’s no consensus on this film so far. If a movie can provoke divergent reactions, it must be hitting a nerve somewhere. I’m really anxious to hear what press critics have to say, like A. O. Scott, Kenneth Turan, Roger Ebert, David Denby, etc. If Darghis at the Times goes crazy over it, that will stir up some interest. She usually likes edgy films. But it certainly doesn’t sound like a Best Picture winner. But who knows? Stranger things have happened.
Since the film is opening in New York and Los Angeles on Friday, December 26 (the day after Benjamin Button), I don’t think major critics like Darghis (or A.O. Scott), Denby (or Lane) and Ebert will review it before then. So it’s gonna be all about the opinions of bloggers and AMPAS & guild members for the next five weeks.
Sasha,
Thanks for your replies.
In relation to DiCaprio’s character Frank , you said
” I didn’t relate to her as much as I did to him. ”
Do you think you related more to Frank, because in DiCaprio’s performance he presents us , not only, a man ’screwing up , but one who painfully knows he is screwing up
Whereas Winslet’s Alice never seems to acknowledge that she is part of the problem ?
And that is why at the end of the day we find her actions more loathsome than his ?
Objection, Your Honor! Leading the witness.
No, this is fun. It’s like a CIA debriefing.
And that is why at the end of the day we find her actions more loathsome than his ?
Helena, I don’t know how much the book differs from the film (if at all plotwise), but I find the words “actions” and “loathsome” in your question very tricky. Without giving anything away: Frank’s “actions” cannot really be compared to April’s. And what if you find one character more “loathsome” than the other, but not his or her actions?
I know you posed the question to Sasha, but I can’t resist putting my two cents in, with the film still fresh in my mind.
one question…
so is michael shannon going to give heath ledger a hard time in the best supporting actor category??
Sonnymorosco, that’s what I also questioned earlier in this thread. And if some people have their way, so will Jason Butler Harner (from Changeling). That totals three actors playing deranged characters: two violent criminals, one asylum inmate on furlough.
I never really thought Heath would win in the supporting category – a posthumous Oscar is a rare thing. And as to the whole loathsome thing, well, like Paul says, it’s hard to talk about without giving away the whole movie but there are themes in this film that are very much like what’s going on in Mad Men, only somehow in Mad Men everything is so tightly wound the chance of anyone screaming at the other the absolute truth is pretty much impossible but for the odd outburst or two.
We’ve come a long way, baby, since Sylvia Plath gassed herself in the oven because she felt trapped. Think about it – there was the 60s, then 70s feminism, then me generation on overdrive with the 80s, which was also the age of therapy where parents were blamed for all sorts of things. In the end, we live in a time where there aren’t many suffocating housewives out there. Those who are housewives are that by choice, women have many more options than they did in 1960. Because of this evolution it is asking a lot for us to sympathize with a mother or a woman who chooses to mourn the loss of her personal freedom at the expense of the children. We just don’t think like that anymore. Also, I think we (women, sweeping generalization) side with and sympathize with Leo and therefore, we take his side, even though A., B., C., etc.
It is a great performance by Kate Winslet and Leonardo but the two together – I can’t stress it enough how good they are together and how far they go as actors. It isn’t Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf but it’s parked on the same street.
Sasha,
Thanks for your replies to my earlier questions.
Comments such as the ones below are one of the reasons why I can’t wait to see the film
“It is a great performance by Kate Winslet and Leonardo but the two together – I can’t stress it enough how good they are together and how far they go as actors. It isn’t Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf but it’s parked on the same street.”
I,also, wanted to ask you how your felt about the characters of Millie and Shep, as well, as the performances of the the two actors who inhabit the roles .
“It is a great performance by Kate Winslet and Leonardo but the two together – I can’t stress it enough how good they are together and how far they go as actors. It isn’t Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf but it’s parked on the same street.”
Sasha,
A comparison to “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” is high praise for RR.I’m a huge fan of Leo’s so I can’t wait to see him in RR.
Oh good. what fun comments.
Could only skim them, as I don’t want any spoilers or specific expectations, but it is great news that the performances are so good.
Can’t wait.
I would think a really insightful film would evoke these kinds of reactions. With Kirk Honeycutt you get the feeling that it was like a bad toothache. Makes one wonder what’s in his past to evoke that response? And as far as the relationship of Frank and April, a lot of people wouldn’t want to go there.
I just can´t wait!
Only really the slightest comparison to Virginia Woolf – maybe a snapshot in George and Martha’s young life.
From what it sounds like the film is being very faithful to the book. IMO April Wheeler was…well…a crazy bitch. I did indeed find her character to be loathsome. Thinking about it now, both April and Frank Wheeler are just not very nice people. Anyway I can’t wait to see the film. Hopefully this will be Kate’s year
Fascinating discussion with people who have seen the film, interesting comparison between the two reviews.
McCarthy seems very mindful of the book, noting how Frank’s infidelity with Maureen has a lot more layers in the novel than it does in the movie–and the relationship between Frank and Maureen is clearly a touchstone for the ways in which Don Draper conducts his affairs in Mad Men; they’re not just quick, idle pick-ups, but are somehow expressions of longing, despair, self-destruction and self-loathing and trying to fill the emptiness inside. Too bad if Mendes doesn’t get that across. And I’m surprised at the flip mentions of Shep Campbell, because he has all sorts of layers and complexity in the novel and his fixation on April and her sex scene with him at the Log Cabin bar is a critical part of her self-destruction. Sounds like Shep plays a little flat, as opposed to Givens, which is just a big giant crazy man happy meal for an actor I guess.
It sounds like Honeycutt doesn’t know the book–he refers to it, but you can tell he’s missing the literary reverence that McCarthy tries to capture. It’s not a bad thing at all to have reviewers who don’t know the book, who can just be objective filmgoers, and my guess is that this may be the source of his snark. Why is this depressing story supposed to be compelling again? Readers of the book are mixed, it’s not for everybody, and that’s one reason why it was never a hit, essentially disappeared for 40 years and was never made into a movie.
Does it seem to anybody else that Honeycutt doesn’t know the book?
I can´t wait to see this movie!
KATE, KATE, KATE!! I really truly hope that she gets the best actress Oscar.
I really hope Leo wins. He’s incredible.
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