Revolutionary Road

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Plot:   Revolutionary Road is about a couple (Leonardo DiCapri and Kate Winslet) who get married, have kids, move to the suburbs, and feel "hopeless emptiness." They toy with moving to Paris, and in the end they crash under the weight of societal pressure and their own foibles. There is an insane neighborhood man (Michael Shannon) who enters the story and unburies the truth of their lives.

Review: The couple, who felt young and special, find themselves middle-aged and wonder "What happened?" The movie draws this theme out so well. The trip to Europe is the symbol of a new life, and when (MAJOR SPOILER) they don't go, their hopeless empty life eventually kills them. Kate and Leo have wonderful dialogues -- well acted and well written. The scenes with Michael Shannon are delightful. 

I can understand why the movie ended the way that it did. I would have liked some clever twist -- the movie ended predictably and with a political morale that didn't belong. Two-thirds of this movie were great, but the end dropped the ball. It did not need a happy ending, but it could have been smarter.

Extended Review:  The movie deals with meaty ideas about the meaning of life, and many young people deal with these issues. I can remember feeling that way. It is similar to the way I felt when I was getting out of high school. I felt like everything is possible -- isn't that the American Way to be. At some point we lose our idealism, and this movie probes that. It is not unlike Vicky, Christina, Barcelona, in that movie, two women have already gone to Europe and they wrestle with idealism -- staying in Europe or married realism.

Cast and crew:
Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Michael Shannon; directed by Sam Mendes

Rating
3.5
1/2

More
"Most people know the emptiness, it takes real guts to see the hopelessness."

Body of Lies

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Plot
Body of Lies is the story of a CIA agent, Roger Ferris (Leonardo Di Caprio) working in Amman Jordan fighting a local Al Qaeda terrorist. Roger's boss in Washington, Ed Hoffman (Russell Crowe) is a micromanaging cut-throat veteran, who puts Roger and his local associates in danger with his self-interested operations. There is a plot twist in the middle in which Roger sets up a fake terrorist cell that is clever and entertaining.

Review
Body of Lies is a spy movie with a post-911 terrorist as the enemy. I think the enemy is well-drawn, and the balance between American interests and the plight of the local people. The movie starts slowly, but is carried by the well-written and well-acted dialog between Di Caprio and Crowe. Di Caprio gives his best performance in recent movies, and Crowe is run to watch. Golshifteh Farahani, who plays the nurse Roger flirts with, is cute and likable.

There are some good action scenes, especially the helicopter battle at the beginning. Still the movie is not an adventure movie or 007-style movie, and those who expect that will be disappointed.


Cast and crew:
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Russell Crowe; directed by Ridley Scott based on a book by David Ignatius.

Rating
2.5
1/2

More
DiCaprio's beard, while disgusting, is less disgusting that it is in most of his movies. Will he every play a clean-shaven character?