It might have spoiled the movie for me, a three-hour cinematic tour de force that doesn't resemble the book at all. English actresses keep showing up actresses from this side of the pond and Cate Blanchett in the lede is a prime example. The movie centers on a really disturbing theme: how would our lives go if we lived them in reverse? If instead of aging, we were born physically old and emotionally young, then we grew physically young and emotionally old. If when we died we just grew smaller until we disappeared like blowing dust. See where the poundage came from? Film critic Roger Ebert argues that this premise is just plain wrong, read: distressing. I wondered how even when Pitt's character was old as Methuselah and in a shrunken, midget body, it was still Brad Pitt's dazzling face. The Boston Globe has the answer.
The trailer for Revolutionary Road is almost better than the movie and includes a few scenes that didn't make the final cut. If you've seen Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? or read the stories of the late John Cheever, you know this movie's angst or read here to get a sense. The movie's singular question is this all there is to our lives is as timeless a query as it is a painful one. Because of course, if this isn't all there is to life, what are our chances of being able to switch course? The movie asks this question and shows its beautiful, horrific answer. For those of us in real life, asking this question in the middle of a recession, record unemployment and two ongoing wars makes it a bittersweet experience, a challenge even to live out loud despite the things that confine us.
On an up note, the soundtrack is fabulous! There's a haunting song that opens the trailer and the sultry, smoky voice sounds like the late Nina Simone. I tried to do a quick search but came up empty. Anyone know or who can find out the name of the singer, please come back here and tell the rest of us. As for me, its onward to dinner, a little housework and preparation for a busy work week ahead; all the things our lives are made of. Et tu?
2 comments:
I saw Benjamin Button and really liked it...Revolutionary Road I have yet to check out. But, I agree that the emotional weight I gained leaving the theater was at least 10 fold, lol. Great blog!
I also saw Benjamin Button and Revolutionary Road over the holiday. I thought both movies were thought provoking and enjoyable. The acting in both was engaging and I see why both movies have received Oscar buzz.
The premises of the two movies may not be unique. However, I believe that both of them deserve some thought. Benjamin Button’s scenario of living life, in essence, backwards could address the cliché stated by some, “If I knew then what I know now, I’d live my life differently”. So, one thing I looked for in the movie was evidence, in the main character, of the wisdom that comes with increasing life experience. Unfortunately, the movie didn’t show a lot of this. It did allude to Benjamin traveling the world and experiencing a life full of adventure, free of burden and responsibility. But is that something we would really do if given the opportunity to live our later years with the physical body of our youth? The other topic that promotes thought is the tendency for some of us to become more cynical with age. Is that tendency physical or emotional? If the source of the cynicism is emotional, would we possess the enthusiasm and faith to implement the changes in the world that require the energy and physical stamina of youth?
“Revolutionary Road” may share its theme with prior movies and plays. However, I believe the movie addressed more than a couple's dreams being stifled in the suburbs. But, I'll have to post those thoughts later. I'm out of time.
Lynne you're great! Thanks for sharing your blog.
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