Revolutionary Road

Have to start by saying that I haven’t read the novel by Richard Yates and surely because of that I found the movie to be highly engaging, attention grabber and with a compelling story that I’m just sorry that they kept the time (1955) instead of bringing it to the current times. But after reading about Richard Yates and his celebrated novel I understand why they kept it as a period drama, as someone messing with such an American classic would have offended many. Still, the story is timeless and I truly believe it would have been outstanding and awfully touching/emotional if they bring the setting to the current time.

See, the story is about hopeless lives, about people that have dreams and get caught in the establishment as soon as they start to have children, about people that lose their identity to comply with social rules and even when they want to be different eventually they realize that they are like everybody else. About people that will accomplish lots of things while spend their entire life in complete emptiness – void-. And believe me the story and movie are really good adult drama that if set in current time would have portrayed the lives of many around the world, but since kept the fifties setting I assume that many will feel that things happened in those days and cannot happen today because women have more rights to choose and my simple message is, please think again as it is happening even today.

Performances are truly outstanding and Kate Winslet deserves all the honors she’s getting; but I also believe that Leonardo DiCaprio also deserves the honors he’s getting as he performs quite well, perhaps one of his best ever, plus the two together have excellent chemistry, timing and thanks Sam Mendes for having this duo of great performances with absolutely no references to Titanic, that was highly appreciated.

Production values are above average, but this is a movie about the story and the performances that even when there are lots of words, there are also great performances just with expressions and that’s really not common in Hollywood movies.

I like Kate Winslet and definitively I was going to watch this movie, but with all the buzz about the movie I had little expectations and perhaps that’s the main reason the movie really impressed me as caught me by surprise. I imagine that those that have read the American classic novel by Yates probably will feel less impressed by the movie, but to them I suggest to think the story now, in almost 2009, and perhaps then they could appreciate it more.

Anyway the movie has four nominations at the 2009 Golden Globes and all are in the four major categories and please browse the blog to find most of the nominations that the movie has collected up-to-date in the current award season.

A friend told me that this was going to be a “heavy” drama and I answer him -and tell you all- that yes is a drama, but it is a strong attention grabber engaging drama that I do recommend to adult audiences.

Enjoy!!!