…and then the ship sank, tearing Rose and Jack forever apart… oh wait… That’s a completely DIFFERENT movie. Sorry. Let me see if I can get back on track here. Ahhh… I see what screwed me up. It’s the same actors, different movie… ok, ok, ok… I got it now. Twelve years after Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet said their watery goodbyes in “Titanic,” the pair has finally teamed up again. Only this time, instead of action, adventure and tragedy… they are giving us pain, angst and tragedy in “Revolutionary Road.” In “Revolutionary Road”, DiCaprio and Winslet star as Frank and April Wheeler, as seemingly perfect suburban family living in the 1950’s. Frank has a great job, April is a stay at home mom (as it should be even today), and they have two kids and a nice home.

But all is not as it seems in this picture perfect fantasy world. It seems that both are living lives of silent desperation, secretly hiding feelings of resentment for dreams unfulfilled by what turns out to be the drudgery of everyday life.

This is a film I could certainly relate to, as I’m sure that many of you can. It is no secret that the majority of us live our lives in silent desperation. Dreams of acting, singing or even being a corporate CEO (though this last one I wouldn’t understand) are quelled by life. Family. Kids. You get the idea. Thankfully, some of this vast majority of lost souls aren’t quite so desperate and appreciate what they do have and the people they share their lives with (like me!!) and find other ways to achieve at least a portion of their dreams.

For the Wheelers, the realization of their plight leads to a decision to move to Paris so that Frank can become a writer and April can support them. But once again, life gets in the way as situations change and seems to conspire against the realization of these dreams.

“Revolutionary Road” is a terrific film, filled with terrific performances. Both DiCaprio and Winslet deliver emotionally charged performances and prove that the chemistry they shared in “Titanic” still burns hot. They create multi-dimensional characters that are easy to like, making their experience all the more poignant. Winselt especially earned her Golden Globe here.

Paramount is releasing both DVD and BluRay editions of “Revolutionary Road” this month and I will tell you that the BluRay version offers exquisite audio and video that are both blemish free. The warm color palette used to give you that ‘1950’s’ look comes across very well. And as the film relies on the dialogue to carry you through, there was no loss of volume to ruin the viewing.

The BluRay includes a commentary by director Sam Mendes and screenwriter Justin Haythe which is full of interesting tidbits about the film’s characters. Mendes is especially talkative, yet never gets verbose. There is also a lengthy making of featurette that eschews the usual ‘everyone was wonderful to work with’ chatter and instead allows everyone to discuss their characters or role in the filmmaking process. Additionally there are several deleted scenes with commentary. I’m still not really into deleted scenes, but there are a few choice ones here with explanations as to why they were ultimately cut.

Finally, you’ll find a featurette that focuses on Richard Yates, the author of the original book. Here we see interviews with Yates’ daughters and friends, who paint a fairly complete portrait of the man and his life.

“Revolutionary Road” is an unforgettable film, though a fairly difficult one to watch. Emotions run very high, not only because of the great performances, but because the film offers some viewers an uncomfortable glimpse into their own lives.

Directed by: Sam Mendes
Starring: Leonadro DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Michael Shannon, Kathryn Hahn, David Harbour, Kathy Bates
Extras: Commentary with Director Sam Mendes and Screenwriter Justin Haythe, Deleted Scenes with Optional Commentary by Director Sam Mendes and Screenwriter Justin Haythe, Lives of Quiet Desperation: The Making of Revolutionary Road, Richard Yates: The Wages of Truth, Theatrical Trailer HD
Specifications: Widescreen (2.35:1)
Studio: Paramount
Release Date: 6/2/2009
MPAA Rating: R
http://www.revolutionaryroadmovie.com/

We'll give Revolutionary Road Blu-ray an A.