Moving on...a little disclaimer: these last two movies on the countdown are two I get pretty spastic over. So beware...I guess??? I might not get The Dark Knight up for a few days due to my busy weekend, but it will be up soon. So, definitely stick around for that.
Numero dos coming your way now: (my poorly developed español skills)
2. Revolutionary Road (Paramount Vantage, December 19)
My favorite actor + my favorite actress = need I say more? Reason #1 why I'm ridiculously pumped! Back in March 2007, when this project was first announced, needless to say, I literally had a heart attack. To be perfectly honest, I was one of the many people that thought they would never star in a film together again, despite their close friendship and similar careers/acting styles. Well, we were all wrong, but rightly so. OK, whatever.
If you haven't figured it out yet, this is Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet's first collaboration since 1997's megahit Titanic (which happens to be one of my many favorite films), and hopefully the film that earns them both their richly deserved Academy Awards. (Wishful thinking...) As of now, they have a combined total of eight nominations and zero wins. That's right, nada. (Don't get me started on that.)
Anyway, onto the film itself. Revolutionary Road, based on the acclaimed 1961 novel by Richard Yates, is directed by Kate's husband, Oscar winner Sam Mendes (American Beauty). Set in 1955, it is a tale of desolation and betrayal in suburbia and the struggle to achieve one's dreams and aspirations; "Distress in Suburbia", in a nutshell. Leo and Kate play Frank and April Wheeler, an ambitious young couple raising their two children in suburban Connecticut. Frank has a fruitless corporate job in New York, while April is an actress wannabe, forced to conform to 1950's society and become a homemaker. The film explores their deteriorating relationship as well as their constant conflict of "angst vs. conformity"; postwar disillusionment: you get the idea. RR also features Oscar winner Kathy Bates (Molly Brown in Titanic) as Mrs. Givings, the Wheelers' perky neighbor/real estate agent, Michael Shannon as her schizophrenic son John, and Zoe Kazan as Frank's secretary Maureen Grube. I'm not really going into specific plot details now, because it gets rather complicated.
I read (well, skimmed) the novel last summer, and while some parts were pretty dry and uneventful, most of it was intriguing and ultimately very haunting. I would definitely recommend it, especially because it helps to get a heads-up on the plot details before you see this film. The ending was particularly thought-provoking, and I'm anxious to see how it is portrayed onscreen by arguably two of the greatest actors of our generation.
All in all, this many layered story and brilliant cast/crew definitely equals major awards bait and excitement. I will be very surprised if this does not receive very many accolades. It has a lot in its favor: acclaimed director, notable cast, including two perennial nominees, and like Doubt, an extremely nuanced plot and intricately developed characters. It also depends on how well-written the screenplay is, but we'll have to wait and see how that turns out. But evidently, there's going to be a lot of focus on the nostalgia, a.k.a. the Leo-Kate reunion of sorts. Expect a lot of bashing from the DiCaprio/Winslet/Titanic haters. Nevertheless, if I'm still blogging by awards season, chances are you will probably hear much more about this film, because it truly deems a lot of attention. And of course, yours truly is ecstatic about it. Fin! (Felt like adding some français there to make up for my poor español, lol.)
6 comments:
I like how you managed to work in your feelings about Leo DiCaprio's acting skills.
AND Kate Winslet's. Don't you dare forget her...
It's cool. Just saying she is bloody brilliant too. Being the mutual fan (not fangirl, I should note), kind of have to give them both major props. You need to tell me how Semi goes, even if you're not fully lookin forward to it.
"bloody" brilliant? How long have you been British? Of course I'll tell you how Semi goes! I'll probably be in a bad mood when I tell you, though, because it probably won't go well.
Who else reads this blog?
I am also looking forward to this movie. Kate Winslet did an amazing job in Little Children. And I think only she could enact April Wheeler's complex character. I loved the book, I think it's one of those under-rated books that a lot of people don't know about.
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