Revolutionary Road

Rating:

* * * *

Verdict:

Winslet and DiCaprio return, proving they deserve to be remembered for more than Titanic.

American Beauty

director Sam Mendes once again delves into the heart of American suburbia in this intense, thoughtful and well-acted drama about a young married couple struggling to come to terms with how differently their lives have turned out from what they hoped and dreamed.

Based on Richard Yates' 1961 novel and set in a pretty, quiet Connecticut town during the mid 1950s,

Revolutionary Road

can be compared to both Mendes' earlier Oscar winner and Todd Haynes'

Far From Heaven

, which strip back the facade of middle class life and overwhelming social and sexist conventions of their time.

Revolutionary Road

starts with the sexually charged meeting of April (Winslet) and Frank (DiCaprio), their destined future together full of hope and promise. As we leap forward in time to find Frank and April married and living in suburbia with two children, the mood quickly changes to one of stagnation and resignation.

April's acting career has stalled, and she now spends her days trying to be a good Stepford wife, while Frank gloomily boards the train each morning, pondering how he ended up working a boring office job at the same company his father worked for.

In an attempt to escape what they describe as the "hopeless emptiness" of their lives, April comes up with a plan that involves them running away to Paris where she will work and Frank can have time to think about what he really wants to do with his life.

Their friends, colleagues and neighbours are perturbed by the idea. The only person who understands is a friend's troubled son John, (played brilliantly by Michael Shannon) who is undergoing shock treatment at a local asylum.

DiCaprio and Winslet deserve their respective Golden Globe nominations (Winslet won) with performances that are gritty and honest. And their feelings towards each other - whether it's love, guilt or hatred - are believable, even if at times their conversations and arguments feel staged for the theatre.

While screenwriter Justin Haythe apparently uses much of Yates' dialogue, he fails to deliver the necessary emotional impact in the film's climax, making

Revolutionary Road

a triumph predominantly for its performances and beautiful imagery.

Francesca Rudkin

Cast:

Kate Winslet, Kathy Bates, Leonardo DiCaprio

Director:

Sam Mendes

Running time:

120 mins

Rating:

(R16) Violence, Offensive Language & Sex scenes)

Screening:

Rialto, Berkeley, Hoyts and SkyCity Cinemas