Review of Revolutionary Road (2008) by Dan S — 04 Feb 2017

A handsomely constructed, quietly devastating film concerning a couple trapped in a dull and ordinary 1950's life and desperate to find a way out of it, even if it means considering a dream-like scenario.

Mendes really doesn't like life in suburbia, as, like he did in "American Beauty", he shows the disturbing, genuine thoughts of characters that, on the outside at least, have the ideal lifestyle.

This film is excellently acted, Winslet is outstanding as always, DiCaprio turns in one of his best (if not his best) performances, and Michael Shannon steals the show as a mentally unstable man who is initially impressed at the couples' honesty, but eventually angry with what the couple decides.

The negatives are some of the arguments between Winslet and DiCaprio make you wonder, "would even the angriest of people be saying the kind of things they're saying when they have kids around?!", and what happens with DiCaprio's character from a work standpoint is like the main plot out of Office Space, only Mendes takes this seriously.