Revolutionary Road: Mendes didn't get it right this time

I am in the minority about this film. While I would give it high marks for writing, directing, and acting, I don't like it.

When I left the theater after watching Sam Mendes’ “American Beauty” I was stunned with the triumph of beauty, even in the brutally tragic ending. I admired the skill to pull that off, while many of my family and friends didn’t get it, and didn’t like the film. How could a pool of blood blossoming like a rose under Lester Burnham’s (Kevin Spacey) head be beautiful?

When the credits rolled after “Revolutionary Road” I felt no such triumph, even though it is a remarkable and powerful film. The capacity for human ugliness (manifested at its worst in a love relationship) shared between April (Winslet) and Frank (DiCaprio), and between the neighbor’s psychiatrically challenged son John (Michael Shannon) and Frank, was very well played. Winslet is strong as always. And though I am no fan of DiCaprio’s boyish face and charm (is anyone?), I admire his ability to act. Crazy John was the best character in the film – brilliant.

If brilliant acting and writing didn't make me love this film with dark material, what can? The scenes of angry screaming were so realistically painful, so intimately depressing, I wanted some element of beauty to balance my heart. Beauty is sometimes painful, and I have no qualms with that assumption. So what makes dark material palatable in “Amadeus,” “Brokeback Mountain,” or “Midnight Cowboy”? Is it the emotional makeup of the viewer that contributes the needed perspective? 

My friend who watched it with me loved “Revolutionary Road” and wants to read the book. Reading the words that bored into my raw human emotions like a hot brand is the last thing I want. But she found beauty, and wants more.

Cringing through the yelling scenes I wanted a powerful link, a Ratso and Joe connection to get me through the pain. None of the relationships in the film provided that. Maybe it's that realism that my friend likes. As she said when I told her I didn't like it, "well, you can't say it was superficial!" No, I can't say that.

Why are we still at war?

No War. Questions?

Art by John Robertson

50" X 70'' acrylic/latex

on unstretched canvas 

found here

Please read Norman Solomon's essay today, and ask yourself, what exactly is the "War on Terror."

. . . there will always be plenty of rationales for continuing to send out the patrols and launch the missiles and drop the bombs in Afghanistan, just as there have been in Iraq, just as there were in Vietnam and Laos. Those countries, with very different histories, had the misfortune to share a singular enemy, the most powerful military force on the planet.

please get Afghanistan right

Here's a 7-minute video of Rachel Maddow on January 19 talking about how President Obama's personnel assignments and plans for Afghanistan really aren't that different than his predecessor's. She interviews Bob Herbert of the New York Times who also disagrees with Mr. Obama's plan to increase troops there.

Here is a new web site called Get Afghanistan Right. They oppose military escalation in Afghanistan and support non-military solutions to the conflict.