Revolutionary Road 5 minute review

This movie does not have the 'wow' factor of Mendes' American Beauty, I was not left with a sense of poetic brilliance, the plot line is predictable almost from about the first third of the movie, yet it is poignant. Despite being a bit plodding, it does spell out in a literal sense the lies we can tell ourselves and the fears which keep us trapped in SECURITY, and even if it does take a literal response to get this message through, it's one that could be expressed more often. So I'm giving this one 3.5 stars Margaret.

I saw it tonight because of the two lead actors, my favourite couple Kate Winslet and Leonardo. I respect pretty much every movie they've been in, OK and I know it's daggy but I loved Titanic and have seen it several times. So here they are, looking late 30-ish, Leo looking pretty squinty and actually playing an unsympathetic character. That's my criticism - there wasn't much to like in his character, a bit 2D - and therefore not much clue as to what Kate's character (Chloe)'s fascination and devotion to him was grounded in.... she was such an idealistic and comparatively deep character, and she was actually hobbled by this little man. The falsities of people and the narrow lies they tell themselves and each other, believing it, the suburban 'ordinariness' lie, the lie of the 'little person' - perhaps contrasted with the romatic ideal. Who is right in this scenario? Well in this movie apparently it's the madman, the Real Estate agent's mentally ill son, he's the only one who can see - and say - the truth. Albeit in a very clumsy and cringey way. The others, well they patch over it till it becomes disabled by all the layers and the only way out is through Chloe's self-administered abortion with predicatble consequences.

Despite having read such bad reviews, I could 'tune into' the movie and empathise with Kate Winslet's dilemma. 50's motherhood and the frustration of being discounted as a person by a little 'not man enough' man - both sexes trapped and lying within the falsehoods of their roles, both characters trapped and lying within the 'hopeless disillutionment' of the suburban life with kids. Funnily enough, incidentally, saw an exhibition in the East End last week by this Danish artist Professor, also bemoaning the fate of married life with kids. Obviously a semi-serious motif for me right now, contemplating these things semi-seriously whilst I still have some reproductive capacity and whilst there is a semi-serious option here to follow it through. Being surrounded by colleagues - perhaps the 'average' Pom my age, who all have kids, feeling a kind of freak for not being there yet. So yes, these movies which say 'hey it's not all it's cracked up to be' present somewhat of a balance. But are they just expressing outdated views on limits of parenting. Are 'today's parents' much more liberated?.......