Revolutionary Road (2008) (Blu Ray) - 10/10

Here's why I like Revolutionary Road. This movie really impressed me the second time around and I'm almost talking masterpiece here, but man, this movie really packs a punch and has such good camera work and performances that it's a shame it didn't win best picture last year. So similar in it's use of piano and sound to American Beauty, this film takes the underlying thoughts of so many people out there and turns it on it's head, making you question your own happiness and what it means to truly "live". The way Winslet and Dicaprio play their relationship so serious is truly magical, I found it hard who to side with in the end but ended up identifying with his character more which can change how you see the film. The confrontations are realistic and rough, turning the idea of marriage and the perfect way of life upside down to show the struggles for excitement couples must face.

I appreciated the slow pull ins and outs that Mendes uses to stay on a character so that their expressions change in front of you and make you really understand what they're feeling, not just using the editing to create tension but make you feel sorry or hate them all at the same time. Michael Shannon's portrayal as crazy John is hilarious and exposing all at the same time, a rare feat that he actually steals the movie away from the two leads. Kathy Bates puts in a great role as the overbearing neighbor and all the supporting work from his coworkers and couples they hang with all feel real in criticizing this man and wife who think they're better than everyone else. In the end, this movie is poweful in the way it makes you think, not just about your own life but about what it takes to keep positive in the world and how hard it can be sometimes if you're stuck in the same "hopeless emptiness". This movie is probably the first one that has gotten higher on my list of greats after i've seen it a second time. Now I wanna go see Mendes' new film, Away We Go.