Review of Revolutionary Road (2008) by The Critic ( — 03 Dec 2013

Sam Mendes's emotionally powerful and handsomely produced film, based on the bestseller by Richard Yates, is a tragic tale of conformity and the suffocation of suburban life in the 1950s. Appearing together for the first time since 1997's blockbuster 'Titanic', Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet and Kathy Bates are excellent here; the latter as their family friend who presents the sort of existence that Winslet is desperate to avoid.

And it is through Winslet's lonely yet hopeful eyes that this story is told. The actress presents such a complex range of emotions, that she dominates every scene, fighting to the very end to lead the life she wants without the social and cultural restriction placed upon her young family.

DiCaprio is also a powerhouse here, torn between his heart and his head, and challenged whenever articulating the desire to discover himself in a world where men provide - full stop. The film raises many issues, ever relevant to the Western world, so much so that we can't help but want our feuding couple to succeed.