June 3, 2009 THE VILLADOM TIMES I & III • Page 27
Peeking through the windows at a suburban marriage
by Dennis Seuling “Revolutionary Road” (Paramount Home Entertainment), based on the 1961 novel by Richard Yates, juxtaposes appearances and contentment with the hidden, underlying unhappiness that threatens to dismantle lives. This is a somber, dark film about a 1950s suburban couple, April and Frank Wheeler (Kate Winslet and Leonardo Di Caprio), who are ill at ease and dissatisfied with their socalled perfect life. Frank hates the job he commutes to five days a week. April finds her days long and empty. Both feel life is passing them by too quickly and long for something more. They decide that moving to Paris will energize both of them. April will get a high-paying job as a government agency secretary while Frank takes time to think about what he would like to do. Their savings will see them through several months. Initially elated by their decision to uproot themselves and their two children to start a new life overseas, they meet with circumstances that create serious obstacles. The Wheelers are unhappy, not so much with each other, but with the feeling that their suburban life has not been the satisfying goal they expected it to be. Winslet and Di Caprio have a number of heavy-duty verbal fights that ring true, thanks to Sam Mendes’ on-the-money direction. April is a woman trapped in a life of her own making: a life that has let her down. It is not as easy as chalking it up to a marriage gone sour. She loves Frank, and that is part of her tragedy. She wants more for both of them, and is desperate for a way out. Michael Shannon co-stars as the son of a real estate Bielski brothers, who retreated to the woods in 1941 after their parents were shot to death by the Nazis, and served as protectors for a group of 1,200 displaced Jewish partisans. Tuvia (Daniel Craig), the eldest, becomes the reluctant leader. Zus (Liev Schreiber) advocates violent retaliation against the Nazis. The youngest, Asael (Jamie Bell), is caught in a rivalry between his two brothers. This conflict gives the story its bite. With so much at stake, two average men have been thrust into the roles of saviors and protectors. There are definite parallels with the story of Exodus, particularly the wandering in the wilderness with no end in sight. Director Edward Zwick provides a gripping portrait of the difficult conditions and the logistics of hiding such a huge group of people from roaming German patrols. There is ever-present tension and suspense, since conditions are so precarious, defense against the far better-equipped Nazis is uncertain, and weather conspires to take its toll on the innocent. Extras include a making-of featurette and director’s commentary. Blu-ray exclusive extras include featurettes on the film’s musical scoring, the descendants of those Jewish partisans, and a photo gallery. “Une Femme Mariee” Koch Lorber) follows Charlotte (Macha Meril (“Belle de Jour,” “Deep Red”) through the course of one day as she learns she is pregnant and is unsure if the father is her possessive, jealous husband (Philippe Leroy, “La Femme Nikita”), who regards her as a trophy wife, or her lover, Robert (Bernard Noel, “La Ronde”), an actor who treats her as a sex object. To further complicate matters, Charlotte is besieged by images of the new (continued on Crossword page)
Leonardo Di Caprio and Kate Winslet star in ‘Revolutionary Road.’
agent (Kathy Bates) who has recently been released from a mental institution. His character is the one person who sees things more “normal” people -- even the Wheelers - cannot. Shannon was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for this role. “Revolutionary Road” is available in DVD and Bluray formats. Extras include commentary by director Sam Mendes, a making-of featurette, and deleted scenes. The Blu-ray edition also contains the biographical profile, “Richard Yates: The Wages of Truth.” “Defiance” (Paramount Home Entertainment), also available on DVD and Blu-ray, is the story of the three
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