Last November, I was utterly curious to finally get to watch Kate Winslet’s and Leonardo DiCaprio’s onscreen reunion. I’d never been a big fan of the much buzzed-about blockbuster Titanic, but when I saw the trailer of this new drama called Revolutionary Road, I got hooked. I’m a huge sucker for subtle dramas featuring richly nuanced, three-dimensional characters and a riveting, realistic story, and this movie proved to include all of the above - quite abundantly, that is. But what’s it about? In the hopeful 1950s, Frank and April Wheeler seem to be a model couple: bright, beautiful, talented, with two young children and a starter home in the suburbs. Perhaps they married too young and started a family too early. Maybe Frank’s job is dull. And April never did see herself as a housewife. Yet they have always lived on the assumption that greatness is only around the corner. But now that certainty is about to crumble. (Taken from the back cover of Richard Yates’ Revolutionary Road, Vintage Books, New York.)

The movie starts out very slowly; the story seemingly takes all the time it needs to get the ball rolling and introduce two complex and therefore amazingly interesting characters: Frank Wheeler, and his wife, April Wheeler. Whereas the beginning of the movie might seem a little low-paced, the audience can witness the first of the film’s many highlights after just a few minutes; April and Frank have an ugly fight on their way home; it seems that all the irreversible damage has already been done, and there’s not really anything that can save their broken marriage at this point. The flow and rhythm of the story doesn’t slow down after that. Myriad beautiful and subtle scenes gradually paint pictures of who these characters are; what they feel, what they want. They are struggling to be happy, or quite frankly to be great and special, and as an intellectual audience, you feel with them throughout all their painful struggle. To sum it up poignantly: the screenplay is stellar; Justin Haythe’s adaptation of Richard Yates’ late novel is not only true to the original, but it is compelling and taut. No scene is irrelevant and redundant, and one of the biggest strengths of the movies, the dialogue (especially in very strong and emotional conversations), just stands out, due to its audaciously frank bluntness; viewers are quite pleased to see that for once, characters actually say what they think and feel rather than keeping it to themselves.

The production design for this movie was luscious, the costumes lavishly beautiful. It’s always great to see that there are still a few people out there who know how to make a story taking place way back in the 50’s look not only credible, but breathtakingly stunning. Sam Mendes’ direction falls nothing short of pure perfection. The images in this movie seem so naturally beautiful, and yet are they artistic, and if one carefully pays great attention to them, they just prove picture-perfect. This director certainly knew how to make this story work visually, and the frames and the pace, and even the editing, all of it makes for a movie that goes under the skin. Not to forget the wonderfully melancholic music by Thomas Newman, which successfully echoes the tone of the entire movie, providing it with yet more dramatic nuances.

Of course I’ll now finally have to address what makes this movie the best movie in a long time; the performances. Kate Winslet is April Wheeler. The subtlety with which she plays this difficult role is almost unbelievable; given the story’s approximity to reality and the strong dialogue, her heartbreaking portrayal of this troubled character just rounds out the whole picture. A little weaker than his female counterpart, Leonardo DiCaprio still acts his guts out, and deserves some recognition, too. His portrayal of Frank Wheeler is hauntingly good and mature, and the variety of emotions he evokes with it is downright phenomenal. But one has to argue that it is probably the fact that these two talented actors worked together - once again - that made their respective performances so strong, and I’d have to wholeheartedly agree.

This seemingly depressing movie is undoubtedly one of the best dramas of 2008, if not the best. Its powerhouse performances and its strong story make it not only worth watching, but a masterpiece that will be remembered for a long time to come. I know Kate Winslet won her Oscar for The Reader, and quite deservingly so, but personally, her portrayal of April Wheeler in this extraordinary movie was what sold the deal for me. The movie is now available on both DVD & Blu-Ray. Also don’t forget to read the stellar book by Richard Yates on which it is based upon, also entitled ‘Revolutionary Road’.