Performance by an actor in a supporting role - Michael Shannon
Where?
Wandsworth, 6pm (no time for Nandos this time, straight from work and into the cinema).
Comments?
Revolutionary Road is about a quite depressing little topic - the claustrophobic confines of a set life, whether it be the day to day repetition of a dead end job that does not excite or a marriage that is going through the motions, suppressing any urge to break free and live a fulfilling life.
Frank and April Wheeler were once a happy couple, full of promise and vigour, enchanting each other with free flowing minds and ideas of travel and wonder. Something changed over the course of their marriage: they had kids; Frank settled down in his now deceased father's job in marketing, hating the tedious working life; April is shackled to her home, cleaning and looking after the kids, totally devoid of inspiration, regularly sensing the lost magic and potential her marriage once had. The tension brought about the Wheeler's situation is tangible and many arguments occur. Infidelity seems to be the only way for them to feel anything. One day, April proposes that they do what they always wanted to do, go to Paris, allowing Frank to find out what he really wants to do with his life. For a brief moment, one that you wish would last, they set in motion plans to uproot their family and go for it, enjoying a sense of freedom that they had long thought impossible. Inevitably, things take a turn for the worse.
Although Revolutionary Road is set in 1950s America, it can easily be transferable to the current day and any location. Many people are in a similar situation to the Wheelers, but whether you are or not, the movie brings about feelings of the inadequacies of one's life to the surface. It's not an entertaining movie to say the least. Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio are both outstanding but that is the problem: they are too convincing and the arguments and choices they have to make hits close to the bone. I left the movie a little depressed, although there was an overwhelming urge to do more with my life.
Definitely not a date movie. And definitely not one to take your spouse to. If you want to express the point of this movie to someone you love, i.e. you can't allow life to remain stagnant, do it over a bottle of wine in the park and do it positively.
Oscar worthy?Here's another very small supporting role up for an Oscar. Michael Shannon appears in three scenes in this movie, maybe totalling fifteen minutes at a stretch. That said, you do wish for more. His portrayal of a slightly crazed mathematician brought to visit the Wheelers by his elderly parents is engrossing. His frank comments hit home for Frank and April, both positively when they are glowing from their announcement to move to Paris and negatively when things go a little tits up. Very well handled indeed.
Will he snare the Oscar ahead of Heath Ledger? No. However, if his role had more screen time, it might have been a close call.
(I've mentioned this before, but it seems the Academy has been scraping the bottom of the barrel for nominations in some respects (and this isn't directed at Shannon's role at all). I checked last year's nominations for Supporting actors and actresses and all of them have meaty roles and plenty of screen time - think Ben Affleck in Jesse James, Jaiver Bardem in No Country for Old Men and Amy Ryan in Gone Baby Gone. This year, we've got at least three nominations for bit parts. Surely, Oscar, with a little bit more digging, there were better supporting roles out there? Or was it a case of production companies being a bit lazy in putting forward roles for consideration? Food for thought. Apologies to Shannon for hijacking his moment.)
Rating?
6 out of 10
Post Movie Quote:
"I'm depressed."
No comments:
Post a Comment