Revolutionary Road

[Highly rated reviewer]

Solid enough but lacking any real bite or originality

The latest film from Sam Mendes the acclaimed theatre director turned Hollywood darling by his first feature, American Beauty. He quickly followed this up with the Road to Perdition, Jarhead and now Revolution Road, adapted from the cult Richard Yates novel.

The film returns to the themes first covered by Mendes in American Beauty of mundane, bored and unfulfilled relationships behind the white middle class picket fences of suburban American. Unfortunately, this all sounds very familiar and when the film is running it does feel very outdated and dull. After watching David Lynch’s dark masterpiece Blue Velvet and even Mendes own American Beauty it’s easy to feel this is a soft touch lacking any real bite, satirical edge or originality.

On the plus side, the performances are solid, if a little too worthy, the cinematography is neat and unfussy and the supporting roles are good, even if they are very clichéd.

Made for awards not for entertainment

Fooled by the critics again, we expected this to be a tour de force film that was different than any other, instead we were rewarded by two hours of a chain smoking 50's couple falling out, making up, falling out, shouting at each other and general un-entertaining misery that might be high brow enough in its acting performances to have the various awards bodies clamouring to dish out the gongs, for us mere mortals who want a bit of escapist entertainment if you slept for an hour of this you will have missed 2 minutes, a pretty miserable film that we could not recommended.

Depressing and boring

Very disappointing. I really couldn't get into this film, it had nothing remarkable about it at all. The acting was good, but the storyline was weak with no decent scenery. I would have very happily walked out of the cinema. It wasn't even realistic, the kids only appeared a couple or three times.

I guess it was trying to put a point across, but by the end of the film I really couldn't care what happened to either of the lead characters.

[Highly rated reviewer]

Mundane Medis!

Well, nothing is more depressing than watching a film about a couple that do nothing but argue and basically that is it . the acting is good but the story is dull dull dull - a waste of an hour and 52 mins of your life!

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realisation that there must be more to life

To those reviewers who found this film boring, I would say that you are lucky if your life is so perfect that you have never dreamt of giving it all up and doing something different, just to prove you don't have to follow the tramline already mapped out for your life. Remember the feeling you get on holiday, when you daydream about not going back to your 'real' life?

The film reflects a feeling so many people have had (still have) that they should take the chance while they can to jump off the treadmill, and take control of their destiny. It is about courage, disappointment, resentment, anger, the death of a marriage, feeling trapped............are these boring topics? Or just too difficult to confront?

I thought this film was thought provoking, and quite inspiring: it made me decide to make changes in my own life. Perhaps not going to Paris, but taking back some control.

Worse than Boring...

After an hour of a couple that you just can't care about, we walked out of the cinema.

Winslet and Dicaprio are unbelievable as a 50s suburban American couple, and frankly the characters weren't developed enough. This happens to be one of those films that should have stayed a book.

Made for awards rather than entertainment, this is a project that would have worked better in Arthouses, not in chain cinemas.

Avoid.

[Highly rated reviewer]

This film is Amaz......

..................ingly CRAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dull in the extreme

Not a feel good film

If you are looking for a light hearted film do not make this your choice. There was not one scene that made me feel happy - very depressing indeed.

Superb!

Reminiscent of American Beauty. Stunning performances. A must see!

just not believeable

I read the book before i saw the film and the book was terrible but somehow i felt that the film could deliver more...but it didnt.

The storyline is quite minimal however there is the scope for it to be incredibly moving but the beginning of the film is too rushed, you dont get behind the characters because the section where you see them meeting at the party is too short and the chemistry isnt there. I found myself sitting through the rest of the film thinking that if i believed that the couple adored each other then it would be a heart wrenching film....but you dont feel for them as a couple and therefore you dont care that their relationship breaks down.