Revolutionary Road

Blu-Ray Review: Beautiful Transfer of ‘Revolutionary Road’ Nearly Masks Film’s Flaws

BrianTT — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 18:23:40 -0600

CHICAGO – The HD picture on “Revolutionary Road” is beautiful. At first, it threw me, as if my initial mostly negative response to the film had been misguided. But then I remembered that part of the reason “Revolutionary Road” doesn’t work for me is it looks too good. The arms-length, clinical, unemotional approach to the material makes for a great Blu-Ray, but it’s still a disappointing movie.

Blu-Ray Rating: 3.0/5.0

Frank and April Wheeler (Leonardo DiCaprio & Kate Winslet) refuse to believe that they could possibly be as dull and boring as their neighbors, colleagues, or even friends in the 1950’s suburban drama “Revolutionary Road”. Frank and April may go to the same jobs and travel in the same circles as the “normal people” but they are anything but normal.

Revolutionary Road was released on Blu-Ray on June 2nd, 2009.
Photo credit: Paramount

Essentially, the Wheelers are ego-driven, selfish characters who long to escape the trappings of the white picket fence but are constantly drawn back into domesticity by family and work. They live unfulfilled lives but they refuse to give into their perceived fates.

Revolutionary Road was released on Blu-Ray on June 2nd, 2009.
Photo credit: Paramount

The problem with “Revolutionary Road” is simple - why should we care? The film feels like a clinical case of misanthropy. Frank and April are held up as examples of the inevitable tragedy of what happens if you try to break your own mold. It’s bitter filmmaking without the emotional investment in these character’s broken dreams that would have made for effective drama.

What saves “Revolutionary Road” from complete disaster is the luck of casting the best actress of her generation in Winslet and one of the best actors of his own in DiCaprio. They’re both excellent. Their performances and Michael Shannon’s Oscar-nominated and movie-stealing supporting turn nearly warrant a rental of “Revolutionary Road”.

And the film’s Blu-Ray presentation goes a long way to mask the flaws of the film. The 1080P transfer is simply beautiful without a single flaw in the HD presentation. The audio is just as good.

The special features are informative, well-organized and interesting. In particular, the deleted scenes run over 20 minutes in length and come with commentary by Sam Mendes and writer Justin Haythe. Just watching that much deleted footage and hearing a director and writer discuss why it didn’t make the final cut can provide more insight into the filmmaking process than most featurettes.

The BD for “Revolutionary Road” also includes a commentary from Mendes and Haythe, a very informative featurette called “Lives of Quiet Desperation: The Making of Revolutionary Road,” “Richard Yates: The Wages of Truth,” and the theatrical trailer.

‘Revolutionary Road’ is released by Paramount Home Video and stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Michael Shannon, and Kathy Bates. It was written by Justin Haythe and directed by Sam Mendes. The Blu-Ray and DVD were released on June 2nd, 2009. It is rated R.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Painful, Depressing ‘Must Read After My Death’ Window Into the Dark Side of Family

BrianTT — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 18:00:53 -0700

CHICAGO – If someone had a recording of the dissolution of a seemingly perfect family, would you listen? What would you learn from it? You can test your answer to these questions with the riveting “Must Read After My Death,” a fly-on-the-wall documentary using only silent home movies and audio recordings of a family in steep, depressing decline.

Rating: 3.5/5.0

Filmmaker Morgan Dews was always close to his grandmother Allis, but he had no idea about the dark past that barely preceded his existence. In the ’60s, Allis lived a dark life with husband Charley and kids Anne, Chuck, Douglas, and Bruce. And they recorded all of it on a Dictaphone that they used as a friend, game, confessor, and shrink.

Read Brian Tallerico’s full review of “Must Read After My Death” in our reviews section.

When Allis Dews dies in 2001, she left behind hundreds of hours of tape. Morgan has edited the audio down to a glimpse at the trajectory of the Dews family in the ’60s in just 73 minutes. Much like AMC’s “Mad Men,” Sam Mendes’ “Revolutionary Road,” or the fascinating “Capturing the Friedmans,” Dews’ film illuminates the darkness just beyond the picket fence.

Allis met Charley Dews just after WWII. The two had been married before but they split with their first spouses and headed off to live the dream life together. But they were an unconventional couple. Early recordings sent back and forth while Charley was in Australia make it clear that the Dews lived in an “open” marriage, something that seemed unconventional but was already tinged with sorrow before they even really had a family.

‘Must Read After My Death’ was directed by Morgan Dews and opens on February 20th, 2009. It is not rated.

Continuing reading for Brian Tallerico’s full “Must Read After My Death” review.

Must Read After My Death
Photo credit: Gigantic Pictures

Anne Hathaway ‘Randomly,’ Inadvertently Awarded Early Golden Globe For ‘Rachel Getting Married’

HollywoodChicago.com — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 21:10:11 -0700

CHICAGO – At least one “Web site technician” for the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) revealed a secret crush on Anne Hathaway’s lead role in “Rachel Getting Married” when the worker “randomly” awarded the actress an early Golden Globe two days before the official NBC telecast.

For a very short period of time, a star was noticed indicating Hathaway as the winner on the official Web site of the Golden Globes for her against-type role as a recovering junkie in “Rachel Getting Married”.

If the star stands, she’d best a powerhouse of other actresses in the lead-actress category including Angelina Jolie for “Changeling,” Meryl Streep for “Doubt,” Kristin Scott Thomas for “I’ve Loved You So Long” and Kate Winslet for “Revolutionary Road”.

Anne Hathaway in “Rachel Getting Married”.
Photo credit: Sony Pictures Classics

Quickly after the snafu went public, the HFPA posted the following whoopsie notice on Jan. 9, 2008 on its Web site:

In the process of preparing for Sunday’s Golden Globe Awards, a technician working on the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s Web site made a mistake and a name of a nominee was randomly marked as a winner. The mistake was immediately corrected.

The ballots are tabulated by the accounting firm of Ernst & Young LLP. Only four executives of the accounting firm know the identity of the winners before the envelopes are opened and recipients are announced during the live telecast.

No one else – including the members of the HFPA – knows who the winners are prior to the live announcement.

The 66th-annual Golden Globes will air on NBC at 8 p.m. EST on Jan. 11, 2009. The full official list of Golden Globe nominees can be found below.

Read the official results of the 66th-annual Golden Globes.
Read more HollywoodChicago.com articles on the Golden Globes.

Best Motion Picture, Drama
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
“Frost/Nixon”
“The Reader”
“Revolutionary Road”
“Slumdog Millionaire”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama
Anne Hathaway, “Rachel Getting Married”
Angelina Jolie, “Changeling”
Meryl Streep, “Doubt”
Kristin Scott Thomas, “I’ve Loved You So Long”
Kate Winslet, “Revolutionary Road”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama
Leonardo DiCaprio, “Revolutionary Road”
Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon”
Sean Penn, “Milk
Brad Pitt, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
Mickey Rourke, “The Wrestler”

Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy
“Burn After Reading”
“Happy-Go-Lucky”
“In Bruges”
“Mamma Mia!”
“Vicky Cristina Barcelona”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy
Rebecca Hall, “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”
Sally Hawkins, “Happy-Go-Lucky”
Frances McDormand, “Burn After Reading”
Meryl Streep, “Mamma Mia!”
Emma Thompson, “Last Chance Harvey”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy
Javier Bardem, “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”
Colin Farrell, “In Bruges”
James Franco, “Pineapple Express”
Brendan Gleeson, “In Bruges”
Dustin Hoffman, “Last Chance Harvey”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Amy Adams, “Doubt”
Penélope Cruz, “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”
Viola Davis, “Doubt”
Marisa Tomei, “The Wrestler”
Kate Winslet, “The Reader”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Tom Cruise, “Tropic Thunder”
Robert Downey Jr., “Tropic Thunder”
Ralph Fiennes, “The Duchess”
Philip Seymour Hoffman, “Doubt”
Heath Ledger, “The Dark Knight”

Best Animated Feature Film
“Bolt”
“Kung Fu Panda”
“Wall-E”

Best Foreign Language Film
“The Baader Meinhof Complex” (Germany)
“Everlasting Moments” (Sweden, Denmark)
“Gomorrah” (Italy)
“I’ve Loved You So Long” (France)
“Waltz With Bashir” (Israel)

Best Director, Motion Picture
Danny Boyle, “Slumdog Millionaire”
Stephen Daldry, “The Reader”
David Fincher, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
Ron Howard, “Frost/Nixon”
Sam Mendes, “Revolutionary Road”

Best Screenplay, Motion Picture
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (written by Eric Roth)
“Doubt” (written by John Patrick Shanley)
“Frost/Nixon” (written by Peter Morgan)
“The Reader” (written by David Hare)
“Slumdog Millionaire” (written by Simon Beaufoy)

Best Original Score, Motion Picture
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (composed by Alexandre Desplat)
“Changeling” (composed by Clint Eastwood)
“Defiance” (composed by James Newton Howard)
“Slumdog Millionaire” (composed by A. R. Rahman)
“Frost/Nixon” (composed by Hans Zimmer)

Best Original Song, Motion Picture
“Down to Earth,” “WALL-E” (lyrics by Peter Gabriel)
“Gran Torino,” “Gran Torino” (lyrics by Jamie Cullum)
“I Thought I Lost You,” “Bolt” (music/lyrics by Miley Cyrus and Jeffrey Steele)
“Once in a Lifetime,” “Cadillac Records” (music/lyrics by Beyoncé Knowles, etc.)
“The Wrestler,” “The Wrestler” (music/lyrics by Bruce Springsteen)

Best Television Series, Drama
“Dexter” (Showtime)
“House” (FOX)
“In Treatment” (HBO)
“Mad Men” (AMC)
“True Blood” (HBO)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series, Drama
Sally Field, “Brothers & Sisters” (ABC)
Mariska Hargitay, “Law & Order”
January Jones, “Mad Men” (AMC)
Anna Paquin, “True Blood” (HBO)
Kyra Sedgwick, “The Closer” (TNT)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series, Drama
Gabriel Byrne, “In Treatment” (HBO)
Michael C. Hall, “Dexter” (Showtime)
Jon Hamm, “Mad Men” (AMC)
Hugh Laurie, “House” (FOX)
Jonathan Rhys Meyers, “The Tudors” (Showtime)

Best Television Series, Musical or Comedy
“30 Rock” (NBC)
“Californication” (Showtime)
“Entourage” (HBO)
“The Office” (NBC)
“Weeds” (Showtime)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series, Musical or Comedy
Christina Applegate, “Samantha Who?” (ABC)
America Ferrera, “Ugly Betty” (ABC)
Tina Fey, “30 Rock” (NBC)
Debra Messing, “The Starter Wife” (USA)
Mary-Louise Parker, “Weeds” (Showtime)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series, Musical or Comedy
Alec Baldwin, “30 Rock” (NBC)
Steve Carell, “The Office” (NBC)
Kevin Connolly, “Entourage” (HBO)
David Duchovny, “Californication” (Showtime)
Tony Shalhoub, “Monk” (USA)

Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
“A Raisin in the Sun” (ABC)
“Bernard and Doris” (HBO)
“Cranford” (PBS)
“John Adams” (HBO)
“Recount” (HBO)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Judi Dench, “Cranford” (PBS)
Catherine Keener, “An American Crime”
Laura Linney, “John Adams” (HBO)
Shirley MacLaine, “Coco Chanel”
Susan Sarandon, “Bernard and Doris” (HBO)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Ralph Fiennes, “Bernard and Doris” (HBO)
Paul Giamatti, “John Adams” (HBO)
Kevin Spacey, “Recount” (HBO)
Kiefer Sutherland, “24” (FOX)
Tom Wilkinson, “Recount” (HBO)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Eileen Atkins, “Cranford” (PBS)
Laura Dern, “Recount” (HBO)
Melissa George, “In Treatment” (HBO)
Rachel Griffiths, “Brothers & Sisters” (ABC)
Dianne Wiest, “In Treatment” (HBO)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Neil Patrick Harris, “How I Met Your Mother” (CBS)
Denis Leary, “Recount” (HBO)
Jeremy Piven, “Entourage” (HBO)
Blair Underwood, “In Treatment” (HBO)
Tom Wilkinson, “John Adams” (HBO)

Read the official results of the 66th-annual Golden Globes.
Read more HollywoodChicago.com articles on the Golden Globes.

By ADAM FENDELMAN
Editor-in-Chief
HollywoodChicago.com
adam@hollywoodchicago.com

Great Performances Wasted in Sterile ‘Revolutionary Road’

BrianTT — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 08:56:06 -0700

CHICAGO – Frank (Leonardo DiCaprio) and April Wheeler (Kate Winslet) refuse to believe that they’re like everyone else in the 1950’s suburbia of Sam Mendes’ frustrating “Revolutionary Road”. They may go to the same jobs and travel in the same social circles, but, unlike the bored housewives and husbands around them, they haven’t given up on their dreams.

They’re ego-driven, selfish characters who long to escape the ennui of the white picket fence but are constantly brought back to it by the trappings of family and work.

Rating: 2.5/5.0

Frank and April live the unfulfilled lives of millions from the ’50s to the ’00s, but to what cinematic end? No one involved with “Revolutionary Road” asked the crucial question - why should we care?

There’s a misanthropy, a bitterness that pervades the entirety of “Revolutionary Road” that makes it impossible to emotionally invest in the broken dreams of the Wheelers and, consequently, keeps Sam Mendes’ film from becoming the effective drama that it could have been in a less clinical director’s hands.

Read Brian Tallerico’s full review of “Revolutionary Road” in our reviews section.

From the beginning of “Revolutionary Road,” Frank and April are fighting. The Wheelers have a beautiful family, nice friends, and a gorgeous home, but they feel trapped in their suburban existence and they lash out at each other constantly.

April longs for her dreams of being an actress and Frank loathes his boring job. Frank cheats on his wife with the new girl at the office and April not-so-secretly hates her husband. To everyone they encounter, Frank and April seem like the perfect couple, but they’re seething with self-hatred and resentment.

‘Revolutionary Road’ stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Kathy Bates, and Michael Shannon. ‘Revolutionary Road,’ which was written by Justin Haythe and directed by Sam Mendes, opened in Chicago on January 2, 2009.

Continuing reading for Brian Tallerico’s full “Revolutionary Road” review.

Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet star in Sam Mendes’ “Revolutionary Road”.
Photo credit: Francois Duhamel, DreamWorks