Revolutionary Road (Sam Mendes, 2008)

[davebert]

For me, I always have something of a problem watching a film about white, privileged, upper middle class people complain about their lot in life. That isn't to say they shouldn't or don't have reason to want something more substantial, but the majority of the time, films of this nature play out on such a superficial level that I simply can't sympathize with the characters. However, as Little Children proved, films can be well made in that territory. That the book is reported to be very good gives me some hope this isn't as trivial as the trailer suggests.

The book is indeed a masterpiece at digging deep into the egos and frail emotional states of white suburbia that eventually devolves into malaise and tragedy. Great dialogue, and some embarrassingly identifiable insight (the number of times my wife and I have threatened to leave this dead-end country only to sit back on our asses gets higher by the day). Whatever you think about the upcoming film, read the book regardless. I just wish Todd Haynes was doing this, but at least Kate Winslet is a great actress and I think she'll be able to carry the story through its conclusion.

[Fletch F. Fletch]

Some really nice b&w behind-the-scenes photos have surfaced.

[Cash Flagg]

Some really nice b&w behind-the-scenes photos have surfaced.

Those photos are also in the most recent issue of Interview.

[Jeff]

Some really nice b&w behind-the-scenes photos have surfaced.

Those are beautiful. Deakins' cinematography looks great as usual, but I would have loved to have seen this shot in black and white.

[moviscop]

Mendez broke my heart with Jarhead, I hope he can mend it with Revolutionary Road.

[Highway 61]

Mendez broke my heart with Jarhead, I hope he can mend it with Revolutionary Road.

I like how you've distilled internet movie writing to its bare essentials: lame pull-quote, bad spelling, and an awful pun.

[moviscop]

Mendez broke my heart with Jarhead, I hope he can mend it with Revolutionary Road.

I like how you've distilled internet movie writing to its bare essentials: lame pull-quote, bad spelling, and an awful pun.

1. I didn't spell anything wrong.
2. You took what I said way to seriously.

Anyway, was I the only one who was very upset at the way Jarhead turned out after American Beauty and Road to Perdition?

[LQ]

Psst, it's "Mendes".

[moviscop]

Psst, it's "Mendes".

fuck me.

[swo17]

moviscop broke my heart with his last post, hopefully he can mend it with his next one.

[Highway 61]

2. You took what I said way to seriously.

I was just busting your balls man. I've actually been looking forward to this movie for quite a while, even though it's sure be trite, banal Oscar-bait. The movie will give Richard Yates the largest audience he's ever had, which is great since it's only been a few years since his books managed to creep back into print. I'll have to stomach a movie tie-in edition of Revolutionary Road for at least five years, but it'll be worth it.

[Fletch F. Fletch]

A glossy profile/interview with Winslet in Vanity Fair.

[Anhedionisiac]

Michael Shannon's in this?!
Fuck. Now I have no choice but to see it...

[portnoy]

From the trailer, the direction, sets, cinematography, acting, etc. look excellent while the screenplay seems absolutely atrocious - full of on-the-nose arguments "You made me feel like THIS and then you did THIS to me!" "Well you never do THIS and never make me feel like THIS!"

I'm sure the trailer for Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf left people with similar impressions 40 years ago.

Has anyone here read the novel?

• Revolutionary Road, the first novel of author Richard Yates, was a finalist for the National Book Award in 1962 along with Catch-22 and The Moviegoer.

• the novel was chosen by Time as one of the 100 best English-language novels from 1923 to the present

• Kurt Vonnegut called it "The Great Gatsby of my time... one of the best books by a member of my generation."

• Tennessee Williams also praised the book: "Here is more than fine writing; here is what, added to fine writing, makes a book come immediately, intensely and brilliantly alive. If more is needed to make a masterpiece in modern American fiction, I am sure I don't know what it is."

I absolutely love the novel and am terrified of this movie's potential to ruin it for me.

[Antoine Doinel]

New trailer.

[exte]

What the song in there? Anyone know the name?

[Miguel]

What the song in there? Anyone know the name?

That's Cat Power's cover of Sea of Love.

[Jeff]

Variety's very solid review went up today. High praise for DiCaprio, Winslet, and Shannon.

I've heard from a few people who have also seen Benjamin Button and many other awards contenders, and think that RR is the best American film of the year.

[domino harvey]

Doesn't Benjamin Button have nothing but bad word of mouth anyways though?

[Jeff]

Doesn't Benjamin Button have nothing but bad word of mouth anyways though?

Yeah. It's definitely starting to look that way, which is very disappointing considering the triumph of Zodiac.

I just meant that, until recently, Button has held the "frontrunner" status in all of those awards derbies...if you're into that sort of thing.

[foggy eyes]

I've heard from a few people who have also seen Benjamin Button and many other awards contenders, and think that RR is the best American film of the year.

I agree. James Benning's Oscar is long overdue.

[Jeff]

I agree. James Benning's Oscar is long overdue.

I'm just to lazy to type Revoluti...aw fuck it.

[Antoine Doinel]

The Hollywood Reporter confirms what I initially suspected about the film.

"Revolutionary Road" is, essentially, a repeat for Mendes of "American Beauty," right down to the formal camera compositions, repetitive musical chords and

Spoiler

. Once more, the suburbs are well-upholstered nightmares and its denizens clueless -- other than one estranged male.

[Jeff]

The Hollywood Reporter confirms what I initially suspected about the film.

Well, that review certainly tempers some of my enthusiasm (though Kirk Honeycutt is something of an idiot). "Didactic and emotionally overblown" were indeed what I was most afraid of though. I'm somewhat ashamed to admit now that when I first saw American Beauty nine years ago (at the tender age of 23) I was pretty impressed with it. I can't recall a film that has aged so poorly so quickly. Either that, or I was just naïve and stupid then.

[domino harvey]

American Beauty is worse than Crash. Hopefully this film's visibility will remind those who forgot and reinstate AB's rightful place in Oscar jokes