What if Jack and Rose had gotten married and settled into a typical American life? The Wheelers are a couple with two children living in the suburbs of Connecticut during the 1950s. Frank (Leonardo DiCaprio) works a job he dislikes, commuting to the city five days a week for long hours, while April (Kate Winslet) manages the household and their largely unseen kids. Her acting aspirations have not materialized, and she expresses her frustrations toward Frank. Feeling emasculated, he has an affair as a way of asserting his masculinity. Meanwhile, April proposes they move to Paris, recalling Frank’s stories about it being a vibrant place and hoping he can recapture the vitality he had when they first met. Will they manage to escape the stagnant existence they've created for themselves, or will they become just another part of the seemingly lifeless population around them? Eleven years after their major success "Titanic" (1997), Kate and Leonardo reunite for "Revolutionary Road," which was released in January 2009. Kate appears to have lost any baby weight she may have had, now looking like a womanly beauty, while Leonardo has matured beyond his youthful appearance. I appreciate a good drama occasionally—films such as the excellent “Snow Angels” (2007), the powerful "Grand Canyon" (1991), or the masterpiece "Dead Poets Society" (1989) come to mind—but "Revolutionary Road" doesn’t reach the level of those films, primarily because I found the characters and their story rather dull. The movie simply isn't very captivating, which is my main standard for evaluating a film. It shares similarities in quality and theme with “Joe Versus the Volcano” (1990). Like "Joe," it’s an unusual drama despite its focus on conventional American life. Some of the strongest scenes involve Michael Shannon as John, the mentally disturbed son of the real estate agent (Kathy Bates), a compelling character. Everyone else in the Wheelers' lives thinks their plan to leave suburban life is crazy (not surprisingly). But John understands and recognizes the necessity of their plan. Essentially, the only person who truly grasps what the Wheelers are going through is this nearly-insane man. However, he isn’t really crazy; he has a knack for seeing past appearances to understand the essential truth, whether it's good or bad. He doesn’t hold back when expressing his thoughts, regardless of how they might be received. At his core, John is like a beatnik—a precursor to the hippie generation of the 1960s. He represents the initial wave of counter-culture, those young people who noticed the flaws in the post-war "paradise" and rebelled against it. The film raises some important questions: Is life simply about having a marriage, a family, a job you dislike, and a comfortable home in the suburbs—all accompanied by endless cigarettes and drinks? Or is there something more? What about love? Authenticity? Untapped talents and dreams that are ignored or left behind? What about (gasp) faith? "Revolutionary Road" has some positives: it’s well-made, features a good score by Thomas Newman, and creates certain memorable moments. Some have suggested the film depicts one possible outcome if Jack had survived "Titanic" and married Rose: The once free-spirited Jack finds himself trapped in a monotonous routine to pay the bills while Kate is left feeling unfulfilled at home. Ultimately, it’s mediocre due to the characters and their story being so unengrossing, which of course connects to the film's central theme. However, it does offer glimpses of brilliance and prompts reflection on its ideas. In some ways, the same message is present in "Dead Poets Society" (and “Grand Canyon,” to a lesser degree): rejecting the constraints society tries to impose, taking risks, and pursuing your dreams. The difference is that "Dead Poets Society" (and “Grand Canyon”) achieved this with more absorbing narratives while "Revolutionary Road" doesn't—generally speaking. Nevertheless, it’s still worth seeing if its themes resonate with you. The film runs close to two hours and was filmed in Connecticut & New York City. GRADE: C+

Source on TMDB