Movie Minute

Hey Guys,
This is my first post I hope you like it. I thought I'd start by reviewing "Revolutionary Road". For those of you who haven't seen the movie, it stars Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio and is directed by American Beauty's Sam Mendes. The movie is about a 1950's couple who are slowly being crushed by the "hopelessness and emptiness". In short, I liked it. Yes, we really don't get to feel sorry for these characters, not like Mickey Rourke's "Wrestler", but I don't think that it's necessary for the audience to be intimate with these characters. It helps, but I thought that this was still an interesting portrayal of some tragic characters. I liked how Leo's character was an insecure bully. It was fun to watch him play such a weak character instead of his usual hero/tough guy character. To me this movie understands the "tragic character rule" that is: characters start off happy, and then because of some tragic flaw are slowly but inexorably killed or broken. This is what happens with the Wheelers they start off happy with the promise Paris then they fall, painfully and absolutely. For instance, Frank loses his nerve at the lure of his promotion it makes him fall back into his comfort zone, maybe it's just me but I find that people don't just change their lives like they do in the movies, people like things to stay the same for as long as they can. We see this in Frank, in that way I think he is a ratable character. Also, I just like the insecurity from Leo it's refreshing to see him play a character who doesn't know how to get what he wants. Winslet, also gives a solid performance as Alice Wheeler a desperate and stifled suberbean house wife. I think she's the most sympathetic of all the characters. I get the impression that she's a person who's not done living, but her circumstances force her to stop. She strikes me as being to early for the Hippie movement and all that free spirited stuff. Her character is not original, but I feel sorry for her anyway. There are a few complaints I have with the film: first, where the hell were the kids they appeared, for like, three scenes then never turned up . Second, Michael Shanonn's character was interesting, but I felt like he was hitting the audience over the head with the guy. He's obviously the rebel character, and I just though that it was a waste of a character. It would have been better to put the rebellious element as an undertone scattered among the characters, instead of so blatantly personifying it in one character. Third, I think the breakfast scene ,towards the end of the movie, would have been a very effective stopping place, because it provides such a sharp contrast to the previous scene. Besides, we get the sense through out the film, that people don't really talk about things they just sweep them under the rug. Well that's it for my first blog leave lots of comments (hopefully all good). Please remember this is just an opinion.