"Revolutionary Road" Book and Movie Review

"Revolutionary Road" movie poster
and the front cover of my
edition of the book.

I know this is a departure from what I normally do. But it felt to be the right thing to do and I'll explain why throughout the review.

"It's 1955. Frank (Leonardo DiCaprio) and April Wheeler (Kate Winslet), in the seventh year of their marriage, have fallen into a life that appears to most as being perfect. They live in the Connecticut suburbs with two young children. Frank commutes to New York City where he works in an office job while April stays at home as a housewife. But they're not happy. April has forgone her dream of becoming an actress, and Frank hates his job - one where he places little effort - although he has never figured out what his passion in life is. One day, April suggests that they move to Paris - a city where Frank visited during the war and loved, but where April has never been - as a means to rejuvenate their life. April's plan: she would be the breadwinner, getting a lucrative secretarial job for one of the major international organizations, while Frank would have free time to find himself and whatever his passion. Initially skeptical, Frank ultimately agrees to April's plan. When circumstances change around the Wheelers, April decides she will do whatever she has to to get herself out of her unhappy existence." Written by Huggo (Link below.)

(L to R) David Harbour and Kathryn Hahn.

The Book: Beautifully written by Richard Yates, his first novel, now a literary classic, it was nominated for the National Book Award in 1961 and earned high praise, including from celebrated author Kurt Vonnegut who said that "Revolutionary Road" was "The Great Gatsby" of his time.

The Movie: The music was wonderful, the clothes were beautiful (never have I been more jealous of Kate Winslet than when I saw her in that blue dress), the acting was amazing - and I don't just mean DiCaprio and Winslet. Michael Shannon, who played John Givings, did an excellent job playing someone presumed to be unwell because he expresses himself emotionally and also is the moral center of the story.

And I was going to try to stay away from referencing a past and much cited movie in this review, but since Kathy Bates also has a part in this film (playing Mrs. Helen Givings), it's now almost impossible not to mention it. And for those living under a rock and is somehow getting the internet as well, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet and Kathy Bates all starred in this little known film called "Titanic". This reason I am so reluctant to mention it is because two fine and critically acclaimed actors who want to work together because it worked so well the first time really shouldn't count as news, ever.

It's both a close and satirical look at the suburban lifestyle and a tragic love story. It moved me, but not to simple tears, just a terrible sadness settling in my stomach. The book and the movie are very companionable pieces. It's one of the best adaptations from page to screen that I've ever seen. 

Michael Shannon.

Favorite Quotes:

April Wheeler: Frank Wheeler, I think you're the most interesting person I've ever met.

John Givings: You want to play house you got to have a job. You want to play nice house, very sweet house, you got to have a job you don't like.

John Givings: Hopeless emptiness. Now you've said it. Plenty of people are onto the emptiness, but it takes real guts to see the hopelessness.

April Wheeler: It takes backbone to lead the life you want, Frank.

April Wheeler: If being crazy means living life as if it matters, then I don't mind being completely insane.

April Wheeler: I wanted IN. I just wanted us to live again. For years I thought we've shared this secret that we would be wonderful in the world. I don't know exactly how, but just the possibility kept me hoping. How pathetic is that? So stupid. To put all your hopes in a promise that was never made. Frank knows what he wants, he found his place, he's just fine. Married, two kids, it should be enough. It is for him. And he's right; we were never special or destined for anything at all.

Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio.

Bart Pollock: Talk it over with your wife. After all, what would we be without our wives.

April Wheeler: So now I'm crazy because I don't love you, right? Is that the point?
Frank Wheeler: No! Wrong! You're not crazy, and you do love me. That's the point, April.
April Wheeler: But I don't. I hate you. You were just some boy who made me laugh at a party once, and now I loathe the sight of you. In fact, if you come any closer, if you touch me or anything, I think I'll scream.
Frank Wheeler: Frank: Oh, come on, stop this April.
[He touches her for an instant and she screams at the top of her lungs before walking away. He chases after her]
Frank Wheeler: Fuck you, April! Fuck you and all your hateful, goddamn -
[He breaks a chair against a wall]

Kate Winslet.

April Wheeler: What are you going to do now? Are you going to hit me? To show me how much you love me?

Leonardo Dicaprio.

Frank Wheeler: Don't worry, I can't be bothered! You're not worth the trouble it would take to hit you! You're not worth the powder it would take to blow you up. You are an empty, empty, hollow shell of a woman. I mean, what the hell are you doing in my house if you hate me so much? Why the hell are you married to me? What the hell are you doing carrying my child? I mean, why didn't you just get rid of it when you had the chance? Because listen to me, listen to me, I got news for you - I wish to God that you had!

Frank Wheeler: You don't...hate me or anything?
April Wheeler: No.....no, of course not.
(She moves closer.)
April Wheeler: Have a good day.

Sources: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/27069.Richard_Yates, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0959337/plotsummary and http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0959337/quotes.

"The Beach" Movie Review

"The Beach" movie poster.

"Alex Garland's novel centers on a young nicotine-addicted traveler named Richard (Leonardo DiCaprio), an avid pop-culture buff with a particular love for video games and Vietnam War movies. While at a hotel in Bangkok, he finds a map left by his strange, whacked-out neighbor, who just committed suicide. The map supposedly leads to a legendary island paradise where some other wayward souls have settled." Written by Mike Arndt (Source below.)

To see all of my movie reviews, go here.

(From L to R) Virginie Ledoyen,
Leonardo DiCaprio, and Guillaume Canut.

FIRST IMPRESSION (Before Watching): I did a little research on this film because I had heard it was a terrible film. I didn't want to waste any time on a bad film even if Leonardo DiCaprio was in it. But it seems that it's more of a 'love it or hate it' film, there isn't any room for anything in between. Some of the 'love it' part is from director Danny Boyle's diehard fans. Now, I haven't seen any of his work - not even Slumdog Millionaire (it's on the list) or the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Games, courtesy of the morons who run NBC. But he has won an Oscar, so I'm thinking it's worth a try. But here's another moment for skepticism - the summary sounds like a bad, run-of-the-mill horror movie! These young, gorgeous kids run off to a beach where they have wild sex and do drugs until the locals get sick of them. That's what it sounds like to me. But I am looking forward to seeing DiCaprio nearly naked for two hours, so there's that!

AFTER WATCHING: It wasn't a horror movie, not by a long shot, but it was kind of weird. It was very picturesque and pretty. I don't know if I would watch it again. It seems one of those movies that would be more enjoyable if you were high while watching it.

None of the characters were really likable and rather selfish - letting a guy slowly die just so they can relax and party. Paterson Joseph's character was likable in his way. No one's acting particularly stood out, although no one was allowed the chance. No one was given a lot of face time except for DiCaprio, everyone else was literally background noise. The island was beautiful and given it's own kind of character in a way.

The deleted scenes on the dvd were interesting, but easy to see why they were deleted. Although Tilda Swinton got a lot more action in those scenes.

All in all, I thought it was an okay film. Interesting. I will probably read the book, hopefully I will find it more sustaining.

Leonardo DiCaprio as Richard.

Favorite Lines:

[first lines]
Richard: My name is Richard. So what else do you need to know? Stuff about my family, or where I'm from? None of that matters. Not once you cross the ocean and cut yourself loose, looking for something more beautiful, something more exciting and yes, I admit, something more dangerous. So after eighteen hours in the back of an airplane, three dumb movies, two plastic meals, six beers and absolutely no sleep, I finally touch down; in Bangkok.

Françoise: Richard, this is just the kind of pretentious bullshit that Americans always say to French girls so they can sleep with them.

Richard: Trust me, it's paradise. This is where the hungry come to feed. For mine is a generation that circles the globe and searches for something we haven't tried before. So never refuse an invitation, never resist the unfamiliar, never fail to be polite and never outstay the welcome. Just keep your mind open and suck in the experience. And if it hurts, you know what? It's probably worth it.

[last lines]
Richard: And me, I still believe in paradise. But now at least I know it's not some place you can look for, 'cause it's not where you go. It's how you feel for a moment in your life when you're a part of something, and if you find that moment... it lasts forever...

Summary information taken from International Movie Database (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0163978/)

"TITANIC 3D" Movie Review

Watch the Titanic sink.....IN 3D!!!!!!!!!

See Billy Zane's eyeliner.......IN 3D!!!!!!!!

Gaze at Danny Nucci's "It's sa me, Mario" impression......... IN 3D!!!!!!!!!!!

Hear Celine Dion sing "My Heart Will Go On"........IN 3D!!!!!!!!!!

"I'm flying-" "I know!"

My ticket to ride!

This just happens to be one of my friends favorite movies, so myself and a fellow friend were obliged to see it with her. I had forgotten how good of a movie it was. It's just mocked so often! And for good reason ("I'm flying, Jack!"), but it is still a great movie! 

The 3D wasn't necessary though and you won't see that much of a difference, but it was still a very good experience. It was nice to see it on a huge screen again. 

It did leave some aftereffects on me: I have seen Kate Winslot's boobs - which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but they're haunting my mind and they pop out at odd times (jk); I now think Leonardo DiCaprio is quite attractive; and "My Heart Will Go On" is stuck in my head!

Great hat!

But I have heard DiCaprio utter the BEST LINE EVER: "You're gonna get out of here, you're gonna go on and you're gonna make lots of babies." How did I miss that in the first viewing?!

Cutie pie!

After we had left the theatre and started to leave each other's company, we grasped each other's hands and declared that "WE WOULD NEVER LET GO!!!!!" It was a great time had by all!

"It's A Wonderful Life" Movie Review

Though a classic now, when it first came out it was a box office bomb. I can't find too many solid reasons for this. Perhaps poor advertising is to blame. I know some critics panned it when it was released to theaters. Even with its star power (Jimmy Stewart and Lionel Barrymore are in it, playing their usual reluctant hero and rich villain, respectively) it was not taken well. The title makes it sound like it's going to be a musical so perhaps that threw audiences off.

Since then, it has become synonymous with the holidays. It glorifies life, even the troubled parts of it. The film shows that if you have the strength to hope, you will persevere. And that, sometimes all you've ever wanted is already with you at home. That's a welcome thought for these days, which is fitting as this film was made during another of this country's recessions. It also shows that moral values shouldn't and cannot be compromised even during the most strenuous of problems.

This is a good family film, though old and without color so it might take some coaxing before the kids will shut up and watch it. But it's worth it.

Trivia Bit: the scene where Jimmy Stewart's character is walking his drunk uncle home was not written the way it appears in the film. The film shows the uncle leaving the set, some noise happens and he says, "I'm alright! I'm alllright!" as if he had fallen into some trash cans or something. That had actually been an accident. When they were filming that scene, one of the set builders was moving something to another set and as the drunken uncle was leaving the scene the set builder dropped it. The guy playing the uncle, Thomas Mitchell, was actually a comedy actor, so he jumped on the opportunity. The director and editors liked the imprompted line so much they kept it in the movie.

"A Nightmare Before Christmas" Movie Review

This has fast become one of the holiday classics for the younger generations. The stop-motion animation is very well done. The music is fun and original, if not award-worthy. The storyline was cleverly thought through. And the characters are so likable, even the bad guys, that you can't help but watch their escapades!

I really like this film. It's great fun! And it's the perfect thing to watch when you're sick of the usual Christmas carols blaring at you from all sides at every department store!

I randomly found this cake and thought it was awesome!

"The Muppet Christmas Carol" Movie Review

There are about one million versions of "A Christmas Carol", including the original written by Charles Dickens in 1843. This version is one of my favorites.

Narrated and hosted by Gonzo posing as Charles Dickens, we follow Scrooge, played by Michael Caine, through his adventures with the ghosts Past, Present, and Yet to Come (this movie has the scariest one in it!). There are joyful bursts of song, one of which, entitled "The Love Is Gone", is absolutely beautiful, and, of course, the wonderful muppets make an appearance!

"Harry Potter" Movie Review

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1"

I just saw this last night and I liked it. It was really enjoyable, just like all of the other films in the series. I like that they were trying to use the whole book in the movies, but that might have been more noticeable in the earlier movies. There wasn't as much going on in this book, though it was better as a movie than it was as a book. But I miss Hogwarts so much!

I thought everything was done so well in this movie. The clothes (the red armbands on the guards of the new ministry was a nice touch), the special effects, the writing, the acting (Helena Bonham Carter kicked ass in this film), and the cinematography were all great. The animation threw me off a bit though.

This is the first movie in the Harry Potter series to have animation in it and I found it very jarring with my perception of the movies. I mean, they used a lot of animation in certain places throughout the series, but it never felt like we were watching a cartoon in the middle of a live-action film. It was done really well, but they couldn't find a few actors to use in this part and then just CGI the hell out of it just like every other scene in this movie?

But I was surprised to find that the ending was actually an ending, albeit an all-hope-is-lost kind of ending. One of Harry's friends had been murdered and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has the most powerful wand in the world....But we all know how the second part is going to end.

I think some place ought to have all the Harry Potter movies playing on the day the last part of "The Deathly Hallows" is released to theaters! That would be awesome! But they would need food and a bathroom readily available, otherwise it would be a long two or three days.

"The Polar Express" Movie Review

This film is stunning and will probably be all over the Hallmark channel because of that alone. But it's definitely worth watching over the holidays.

It is beautifully animated, it is adventurous and perfect for the whole family. Tom Hanks does a great job transforming into each of the characters. He does every voice in the film - except for the little kids. I thought that that was very clever because that is how you would read the book that this film is based on (if you were reading it out loud of course). You would change your voice to match each of the characters.

My niece borrowed this book from her school's library. It's a beat up copy mind you, but the pictures are still resplendent. The filmmakers followed the book closely and it paid off. It is a scrumptious feast for the eyes!

"Burlesque" Movie Review

"Burlesque" movie poster.

"The Burlesque Lounge has its best days behind it. Tess (Cher), a retired dancer and owner of the venue, struggles to keep the aging theater alive, facing all kinds of financial and artistic challenges. With the Lounge's troupe members becoming increasingly distracted by personal problems and a threat coming from a wealthy businessman's quest to buy the spot from Tess, the good fortune seems to have abandoned the club altogether. Meanwhile, the life of Ali (Christina Aguilera), a small-town girl from Iowa, is about to change dramatically. Hired by Tess as a waitress at the Lounge, Ali escapes a hollow past and quickly falls in love with the art of burlesque. Backed by newfound friends amongst the theater's crew, she manages to fulfill her dreams of being on stage herself. Things take a dramatic turn though when Ali's big voice makes her become the main attraction of the revue." (Written by Bobby_John on IMBD) 

I just saw this movie with a friend of mine last night. It was a fun movie. It wasn't fantastic and it wasn't Chicago. Though it resembled the Oscar-winning film, I doubt this movie will win any Oscars, or even get nominated. Someone had posted online that it was sort of like watching a string of music videos, and it did sort of feel like that. 

Christina Aguilera isn't a wonderful actress, though the lines she had to say weren't the best either. Although Stanley Tucci managed to turn every one of his lines into gold. Cher spent much of the movie being a funny but morose bitch. I'm not sure I wanted to see the tall and powerful diva that way. But she did break a car window and that was fun. Alan Cumming was also in this movie, though he played a bit part. 

Aguilera's boy toys looked oddly alike and I don't know why that bothered me but it did. There wasn't the good and bad, yin and yang that I expected. Which leads to one of the only clever lines in the movie: 

Wrong Guy: How does this make me the bad guy? 

Aguilera: It doesn't make you the bad guy, just the wrong guy. 

Another "Burlesque"
movie poster.

As clever as the line is, it doesn't make any sense. He is the bad guy because he was trying to buy out Cher's domain, which was why Aguilera's voice was important in saving the "Burlesque Lounge". And the reason why her character was there and the reason for the main storyline behind her character. 

As short as this film seemed to be, there could've been more editing done. They could've cut the beginning short. There was almost no reason for that first scene at all. The audience would've known she's the new small town girl in the big city. And the postcard scene made no sense; who was she supposed to send it to if we're to believe that everyone she could've sent it to is dead? 

The music was good, but I would say that only half of it was original material. The music did go with the film though. The costumes were good but there could've been more interesting stuff for them to wear. They were pretty clothes, but we have all seen sequined bras. And the dancing was suggestive and sexy, but it could've been more than just S&M and booty shaking. 

I don't know if I would watch it again. Overall, it was a hot pink version of Chicago without murder or Bob Fosse.

3 out of 5 stars.