"Revolutionary Road" was a Stationary Tale

Genres: Drama and Adaptation
Running Time: 1 hr. 59 min.
Release Date: December 26th, 2008 (wide)
MPAA Rating: R for language and some sexual content/nudity.
Distributors: Paramount Vantage

Directed by: Sam Mendes

JJ Rating: C+

Frank (Leonardo DiCaprio) and April Wheeler (Kate Winslet) argue a lot and love little. Revolutionary Road.

Let me put this simply: everything that Doubt is, Revolutionary Road is not. The two are similar because they both have an awful lot to do with talking. The major difference is that Doubt was superior in every single way. Doubt is also about as uplifting as a serial murderer is a positive influence on the community and that goes for Revolutionary Road as well. The thing is Doubt handles it differently and gives its story an edge that makes it entertaining once through as well as twice through and three times through. It has the ability to allow several viewings, still be entertaining and the acting gives chills. DicCaprio and Winslet are not so flawed as to not be able to hold their own in this film. They are outstanding actors who were accompanied by Michael Shannon and Kathy Bates. It's just one dimensional when Doubt has three dimensional characters that just rumble the screen as much as, if not more so, than this Frank and April.

What are the problems? Let me list them with glee. One of the problems is that it's so long and boring that I was surprised the allergy medicine didn't knock me out during this one. A second problem is that it's so wrought with negatives it reminds me of Monster's Ball. Third they talk and talk and talk and the story goes nowhere. It's like being on mental tread mill and just as dull. Fourth these characters are like the disgusting bottom of the human barrel; they are barely human beings. If most people were like this the planet Earth would suck. Fifth they have kids that are seen maybe a total of five minutes for the entire movie. They might as well not have kids. They served no purpose in the story other than for what happens at the end. Sixth the whole story is predictable from the onset. Seventh the characters are hollow and trite and totally a waste of literary ink (because it's an adaptation) as is the storyline.

The silver lining is that Dicaprio and Winslet are remarkable, but even that gets boring. So the back-up silver lining is Michael Shannon who plays a character who is slightly off his rocker in a profound way. His last scene in the entire film is the best part of the entire movie. I would watch that part again and again and again and I'd laugh all the same.

Revolutionary Road is so stationary that it's like watching people who have lessons happening to them every moment and them not learning from the experiences, just going about their lives doing the same stupid thing over and over again. Instead of progress these characters regress and it's not entertaining. This is why people are bored with the Oscars, because they think stuff like this is worthy of being noticed. I suggest not bothering. Don't let the Academy Award nominations pull you into the theater just because, because just like the Hulu's Superbowl commercial, your minds will turn to mush if you baa yourself to the theater at the whim of the nude golden thespian; plus that just creepy.