Revolutionary Road (DiCaprio, Winslet)

[Watashi]

Trailer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ry0VRsT8ke4)

This is the big one. This is the biggest film this winter. The "Atonement" of 2008.

Looks good.

[eternity]

Kate Winslet Screaming Long Winded Monologues About The Circumstances Of Her Life (Sam Mendes, 2008)

[MacGuffin]

Sorry, but this just looks absolutely painful.

[Boner M]

Gotta agree w/ Clipper and eternity here.

[Watashi]

Gotta agree w/ Clipper and eternity here.
Are you having a ratings meltdown?

[Boner M]

Are you have a ratings meltdown?
I rate shorts and non-narrative/experimental stuff on a different scale. It's hard to assign them a /100 grade.

[Amnesiac]

Looks like it could be pretty great.

I liked the trailer and the music it used, as well the themes the film seems to be working with. I'll definitely check it out.

[Pop Trash]

Jack and Rose reunited+Sam Mendes helming=my ass in the seat. Trailer looks good.

[Derek]

Finally a film with the courage to take it to complacent middle class suburbia. Sam Mendes, a maverick with a mission.

[NickGlass]

Man, Sam Mendes and Kate Winslet hate the suburbs.

[Raiders]

How many more "dark underbelly of suburban life" films do we really need? How many more does Mendes need to make?

[MacGuffin]

How many more "dark underbelly of suburban life" films do we really need? How many more does Mendes need to make?

Screw that; how many more movies does he need to make period?

[Pop Trash]

Screw that; how many more movies does he need to make period?
Apparently we now hate directors with visual verve and style. Oh and directors that are good with actors as well. :rolleyes:

[MacGuffin]

Apparently we now hate directors with visual verve and style. Oh and directors that are good with actors as well. :rolleyes:

American Beauty isn't bad in my opinion, but his movies feel so second rate — okay, maybe Jarhead is third or fourth rate — and as if they have nothing but recycled ideas. American Beauty tells us how miserable the suburbs are. Road to Perdition glorifies revenge. Jarhead tells us how bad conditions are for soldiers. Sorry, but I just find his stuff to be bland.

EDIT: Also, the style that you speak of seems to come more from the photographer for Mendes' movies rather than from Mendes himself. The only thing that looks interesting in the above trailer, for instance, is Roger Deakin's photography. But that is just my opinion, of course.

[Hugh_Grant]

Sorry, but this just looks absolutely painful.
Saw this trailer in from of Ghost Town, and yes, painful is a good adjective.

[Watashi]

How is this trailer painful?

[Kurosawa Fan]

How many more "dark underbelly of suburban life" films do we really need?

This is exactly what I was thinking through pretty much the entire trailer. Blech.

[monolith94]

Is a good soundtrack, good actors, and good cinematography enough to make a cliché interesting. I just don't know.

[dreamdead]

Always happy to hear non-Sinnerman Simone in a trailer, but these films about suburbia and their studies of familial, historical, and gender alienation aren't worth anything beyond critics' Oscar-hype of "mature," "important" filmmaking.

I miss the days when Winslet did truly thoughtful, fully-developed work.

[Ezee E]

The trailer is okay, but I've liked everything that I've seen from Sam Mendes so far, so I have no problem with seeing this one.

[Dukefrukem]

Did they really... really put in a scene where they're making out in a car and stretches a hand towards the car window?

[Amnesiac]

Maybe I haven't seen enough films that deal with 'suburban misery' to realize that it's an (allegedly) tired cliche now.

And I haven't seen American Beauty.

[Spinal]

How old will DiCaprio be before he stops looking like a teenager? 50? 60?

[Malickfan]

Based on Richard Yates 1961 novel which was a finalist for the National Book Award. I know two guys who've read it and speak VERY highly of it. We'll see what Mendes does with it.

[Qrazy]

How old will DiCaprio be before he stops looking like a teenager? 50? 60?

Same thing goes for Winona Ryder. They should star in a high school musical together.

[Milky Joe]

Trailers tend to, I dunno, suck horrid amounts of balls the majority of the time. So I'll hold out judgment on this one until I see it.

[Malickfan]

I'm gonna at least read it first. I got time.

[Boner M]

The pristine facades of the suburban milieu serve as an IRONIC COUNTERPOINT to the UNHAPPY LIVES of its residents. :eek:

By setting the film in the 1950's, Mendes is making an SCATHING CRITIQUE on HOW LITTLE HAS CHANGED SINCE THEN. :eek: :eek:

[Pop Trash]

The pristine facades of the suburban milieu serve as an IRONIC COUNTERPOINT to the UNHAPPY LIVES of its residents. :eek:

By setting the film in the 1950's, Mendes is making an SCATHING CRITIQUE on HOW LITTLE HAS CHANGED SINCE THEN. :eek: :eek:
So what you are saying is this will be Far From Heaven 2: Electric Boogaloo.

[D_Davis]

I like living in the suburbs. Bigger lots, newer homes with better electrical, the houses are less expensive, places have parking lots which means I don't have to drive around for 30 minutes to find parking, when I crave the city life I can drive in or stay after work, but when I leave the city to go home it feels good, like my job is far away; it feels like I am actually going home every night.

Someone should make a movie about how awesome the suburbs are.

[Ezee E]

I like living in the suburbs. Bigger lots, newer homes with better electrical, the houses are less expensive, places have parking lots which means I don't have to drive around for 30 minutes to find parking, when I crave the city life I can drive in or stay after work, but when I leave the city to go home it feels good, like my job is far away; it feels like I am actually going home every night.

Someone should make a movie about how awesome the suburbs are.
Tom Hanks movie?

[Derek]

I like living in the suburbs. Bigger lots, newer homes with better electrical, the houses are less expensive, places have parking lots which means I don't have to drive around for 30 minutes to find parking, when I crave the city life I can drive in or stay after work, but when I leave the city to go home it feels good, like my job is far away; it feels like I am actually going home every night.

Someone should make a movie about how awesome the suburbs are.

Soon you will realize that you're unhappy. You don't have to play by the rules, Daniel!

[Dukefrukem]

I like living in the suburbs. Bigger lots, newer homes with better electrical, the houses are less expensive, places have parking lots which means I don't have to drive around for 30 minutes to find parking, when I crave the city life I can drive in or stay after work, but when I leave the city to go home it feels good, like my job is far away; it feels like I am actually going home every night.

Someone should make a movie about how awesome the suburbs are.

You mean like Burbs?

[Derek]

You mean like Burbs?

That movie with Tom Hanks?

[D_Davis]

Soon you will realize that you're unhappy. You don't have to play by the rules, Daniel!

I'm sure my wife and I will soon become serial killers, and we'll keep the bodies of our victims in our basement and force our dogs to eat the rotting corpses.

[Ezee E]

I'm sure my wife and I will soon become serial killers, and we'll keep the bodies of our victims in our basement and force our dogs to eat the rotting corpses.
Saves on petfood.

[The Mike]

Anyone who says there will ever be another movie like The 'Burbs clearly knows shit about cinema. :crazy:

[Derek]

Anyone who says there will ever be another movie like The 'Burbs clearly knows shit about cinema. :crazy:

Psh, anyone in the know knows that The 'Burbs 2046 is coming on the 100 year anniversary of Joe Dante's birth.

[Raiders]

Psh, anyone in the know knows that The 'Burbs 2046 is coming on the 100 year anniversary of Joe Dante's birth.

Directed by WKW, no less. He's starting the screenplay next year.

[MacGuffin]

American Beauty isn't bad in my opinion,

Wait, scratch that.

[Robby P]

A 0.0, huh? That seems fair.

[Amnesiac]

Beautiful B&W photo from the set.

http://media2.firstshowing.net/firstshowing/revolutionary-road-shoot-lg-01.jpg

Maybe they should have done this one in monochrome.

[megladon8]

Kate Winslet has gotten more beautiful as she's gotten older.

[Amnesiac]

http://hollywood-elsewhere.com/images/column/103108/mendeswinslet.jpg


In a Rachel Abramowitz/L.A. Times interview that ran yesterday, Revolutionary Road director Sam Mendes argued that April Wheeler, played by Kate Winslet in the film, "is one of the great feminist heroines. She's the only person in the movie [who's] big enough to face the truth.

"You know well this is not a movie about a woman who wants to go to Paris. It's a movie about a woman who wants her life back and can still remember the dreams she once had and is finally waking up, which a lot of people do in their 30s and 40s, who go, 'How did I get here? This is not what I wanted. But I never made the decision, this all happened in increments -- I had a child and I had to compromise and I had to do this and that and suddenly I've lost my way. Now I'm just like everyone else and I thought I was special."

Also, I somehow only recently found out that Winslet and Mendes are married.

[Ezee E]

Damn. Late to my showing and it got filled up. I'll have to wait a few days now.

[number8]

You know how those right wing groups are always complaining that Hollywood is trying to destroy marriage and traditional values and what not? And we always write those folks off as cuckoo?

Maybe they're right with this one. I've never seen a movie so hateful against not only suburbs, but the conventional family as well.

[Watashi]

Michael Shannon is hilariously awesome in this. He's practically Ledger's Joker without the clown make-up.

Too bad the rest of the movie didn't revolve around him.

[number8]

Michael Shannon is hilariously awesome in this. He's practically Ledger's Joker without the clown make-up.

Too bad the rest of the movie didn't revolve around him.

Seriously. I'd pay money to see a spin off with him.

[Pop Trash]

Seriously. I'd pay money to see a spin off with him.

Just watch Shotgun Stories. He's da bomb in dat yo!

[eternity]

You know how those right wing groups are always complaining that Hollywood is trying to destroy marriage and traditional values and what not? And we always write those folks off as cuckoo?

Maybe they're right with this one. I've never seen a movie so hateful against not only suburbs, but the conventional family as well.
How so?

[Amnesiac]

If this is anywhere near as expertly handled as AMC's Mad Men (incidentally, the trailer debuted during one of its commercial breaks) then I'll be pretty pleased.

I have noticed a lot of disappointed feedback, though.

[Ezee E]

This weekend.

[DavidSeven]

Mendes is obsessed with creating pretty suburbs, Mad Men outfits, and complicated hairdos for the purpose of tearing them down. But deconstructing portrait ready suburbia and artificially beautiful people is too easy; it's not interesting. The more pristine he makes this neighborhood and the more glamorous his stars looks, the more he loses his audience. The situational content isn't too far off from Mike Nichols's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, but the difference in approach is huge. Nichol's picture is far more claustrophobic and unconcerned with "how nice things look on the outside." It gets to the down and dirty of the characters' psychology and the pathetic-ness and inadequecies of individuals rather than concern itself with how much it sucks to be wealthy and white in America. Because Mendes never explores human psychology the way Nichols's superior film does, DiCaprio and Winslet's frequent screams and violent outbursts are hollow and their occasional blank and resigned expressions are meaningless. With nothing significant to say about the human condition, Revolutionary Road is mostly just sustained unpleasantless delivered through banal assertions about an unfulfilled life.

Edit: Michael Shannon would be getting award buzz (and rightly so) if this film was up to snuff.

[NickGlass]

Mendes is obsessed with creating pretty suburbs, Mad Men outfits, and complicated hairdos for the purpose of tearing them down.

Nice observation.

Beyond the sadistic schadenfraude I feel for those who saw the film to see the handsome "Titanic" couple reunited, and the sheer excess of Johnny Walker Red and cigarettes, yes, the film is useless. Seeing "Bigger Than Life," a film so alive and acute, this morning particularly put things into perspective. Not that it needed to, as "Revolutionary Road" may be eager to depress it's audience, but not before indicting--and then congratulating--all of its puerile characters and its exhausted audience.

[number8]

Funny, I immediately got into a conversation about Nicholas Ray--specifically BTL--after watching this too.

[origami_mustache]

The source material seemed pretty good; it’s just a shame they butchered this into being one of the most melodramatic films I’ve seen in a long time. I hated the score, and most of the acting aside from Michael Shannon as the alleged “psychotic” who was fantastic and ended up stealing the show. I wish they would have shot this in technicolor and used an all 50s score for irony...wait actually I just wish they never made this movie.

[Boner M]

Old Joy (Kelly Reichardt, 2006) - 2

:|

[origami_mustache]

:|

eh, I guess I'll post my brief thoughts in the film discussion thread.

[Idioteque Stalker]

I'd have to check over what I've seen, but this is probably the worst movie I've seen this year (well, since it's now 2009, I guess I mean "from what is eligible for the upcoming Oscars"). Probably one of the most heavy-handed and, as far as the themes (or rather: theme) go, :frustrated:-inducing movies I've seen. It would be completely worthless if not for Leo and Shannon. Winslet was okay, I guess, but Mendes succeeded in turning what could have been a great and subtly tortured performance from her into constant theme-spouting and obvious bids for profundity.

At least I had a free pass.

[Ezee E]

I've gotta say that the producers sure did a shitty job releasing this movie. Only 137 theaters right now? It should've been wide a month ago. Now there's little to no buzz, and without any Oscar noms (maybe one?), it'll only die quicker.

[Mal]

I felt like I was watching my parents fight for two hours.
Good movie.

[number8]

I felt like I was watching my parents fight for two hours.

Yes.


Good movie.

What?

[Mal]

What?
My parents fights are awesome.

[Pop Trash]

I felt like I was watching my parents fight for two hours.
Good movie.
This made me :) Rep.

[Philosophe_rouge]

I felt like I was watching my parents fight for two hours.
Good movie.
Heh, I came home and my parents were arguing almost verbatim some of the scenes, so major *fresh*

[Ezee E]

It's tough to decide what I think about this movie. While it's certainly the angriest, most depressing, and selfish movie of the year, it certainly is resonating with me.

If only this movie ended after the breakfast scene was over.

[Ezee E]

I'm curious as to how the Michael Shannon character is in the book. He's quite the character.

[number8]

If only this movie ended after the breakfast scene was over.

THIS. It would have been about 30x better if had closed with the shot of Winslet going back into the house.

[Ezee E]

THIS. It would have been about 30x better if had closed with the shot of Winslet going back into the house.
It would've stated everything that the last ten minutes do three times. Only great instead of good, okay, to tiresome (but at least with a sense of humor there).

No, back into the house would've made it into a damn great movie.

[chrisnu]

It would've stated everything that the last ten minutes do three times. Only great instead of good, okay, to tiresome (but at least with a sense of humor there).

No, back into the house would've made it into a damn great movie.
I have to agree. I've been thinking more about what I thought went wrong in the last ten minutes than what I thought went right in the first 110 minutes. I also agree with number8's review that the film is far too slanted on April's side. It treats the idea of understanding what you really have as an afterthought (literally). Not only is it anti-suburb, it's anti-commitment and anti- anything that makes you compromise anything that you think you are, even if it means finding contentment. There's a difference between finding contentment, which may involve some compromise, and the idea that sometimes dreams change, and complacency. I think the scenes with Bart Pollack hinted at that, but the ending of the film made its position far too black-and-white. I also wondered where the kids were while the Wheelers were having all their profound arguments. John is right: I wouldn't want to be their kids.

Thought of a good word: April Wheeler is the most supercilious character I've seen in a movie in the past year.

[Ezee E]

I wish they went more into the neighbor's idea of what his sons were like, drones to the tv. I really liked that shot.

[chrisnu]

I wish they went more into the neighbor's idea of what his sons were like, drones to the tv. I really liked that shot.
So do I; I liked the characters of Shep and Milly, even if we're supposed to feel sorry for them not being as 'authentic' as the Wheelers. I find it ironic that a movie which condemns complacency is willing to bring a scene like that to light, and is content to simply let it be a pat warning of "this is how suburb kids are going to end up!"

[Ezee E]

So do I; I liked the characters of Shep and Milly, even if we're supposed to feel sorry for them not being as 'authentic' as the Wheelers. I find it ironic that a movie which condemns complacency is willing to bring a scene like that to light, and is content to simply let it be a pat warning of "this is how suburb kids are going to end up!"
If anything, it could've led to a reduction of ambition.

[Barty]

DiCaprio was great in this, should have been nominated.

[Pop Trash]

This is about as underwhelming as the other Oscar-y movies I've seen recently (Ben Button and Slumdog Millionaire -though I did find all of them underwhelming for different reasons)

It's often too stagey. I thought the dialogue was too on the nose constantly. Everyone seemed to be emoting and stating exactly what they felt at all times, which isn't like real life and isn't what I normally like in films. There's no humor or tenderness in the material unlike the much better American Beauty. There are a few flashbacks of the Wheelers supposedly better life back before they were married, but it still didn't make me care much for them. I'm still not sure how I feel about the ending, but unlike others on here I don't think it would have improved that much if it ended after the breakfast scene. Kate and Leo's acting is OK but too much of the angry/emotive style that the Academy loves (as opposed to more subtle or comedic performances that often get ignored)

Things I do like: nice costumes and set design. I especially like the design of Leo's office. Reminded me of the office in The Apartment. Michael Shannon is very good as usual, but even his dialogue is too on the nose for me. The secretary in Leo's office is pretty hot in a 50's cheesecake way. I could also identify with the complacency vs. search of a better life theme since I also struggle with the same feelings in my life.

Rating: 6/10

[Izzy Black]

I do not think the movie is as bad you guys let on. In fact, I rather liked it. The themes are not limited to the obviously political (suburban angst), but there are some philosophical elements there as well. Preserved, likely, from the book, Mendes did well to keep this the focus of the film. It is less about suburbanization and more about the complexity of finding and achieving happiness. You could call it an anti-commitment film, sure, but this is drawing, of course, on decades of existential thought. It is trading in the idea that the rational way of life is not always the ideal way of life. I also did not find it as psychologically shallow as others have observed.

[Ezee E]

Israfel needs to post more often.

[Sycophant]

Watched this this afternoon. It's going to take me a while to figure out exactly how much I liked it and in what ways I liked it, but as a whole, I certainly liked it. I don't think it was as lopsided in favor of the April character or as damning in its depiction of the peripheral characters as seems to be the consensus.

My biggest problem with the ending is not so much that it iterates several times what I thought was well enough stated with the breakfast scene, but rather that the energy the film had been building seemed to dissipate with that scene, and I read that as a signal that the film was going to end. It became something of a slog when it tried to pick back up again.

As a side note, I've found lately that when watching films, I sometimes get a bit lost in the less holistic experience of savoring a well-cut or well-acted moment, and there were plenty of those to be had in this film.