Blu-Ray Review:
Revolutionary Road
By Jason Gillard
*Screenshots are not from the Blu-Ray source.
Movie
Current Rottentomatoes.com score 69% Fresh: 131 Rotten: 58
Frank works at a job he hates in New York City, then commutes home to two children and a wife who feels none of them belong in their cookie-cutter town. Their realtor (a fine Kathy Bates) recognizes their specialness and introduces them to her mentally unstable son in an effort to establish some normalcy for the man. However, Frank and April's marriage is not as perfect as it seems to the outside world, and the audience gets to witness their downfall.
Revolutionary Road reunites Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio. Those expecting a love story like they got in Titanic are in for a shock. This movie is a little unhinging at times. They seem like a happy couple to the outside world, but behind closed doors they explode at each other frequently. For me personally I expected more out of this story. If I am being honest I really watched this movie thinking that my wife would like it. DiCaprio and Winslet are fantastic actors and they were at the top of their games in this movie. But I just found that it was one big argument, and who wants to sit through something like that. I just figured the story was going somewhere but it ultimately didn't. It reminded me a lot of a movie called "The Story of Us" with Michelle Pfeiffer and Bruce Willis, which again was constant arguing. If you do watch this movie watch it for ultimately believable performance by the two lead actors, but be prepared for a night of arguing, but at least its not with your significant other.
7 out of 10
Video
Paramount has given Revolutionary Road a stunning transfer. Set in a time where all the men wear hats and suits and the women wear aprons and clean the house, everything looks fantastic. Colours are bright and pop off the screen. Black levels are also good. One thing that stood out to me was the detail level. Textures come across with startling clarity. I also noticed the lighting. Sunlight frequents many scenes and comes across with a warm glow. I didn't notice any problem with dirt, or marks on the print or even any noise reduction. The transfer was clean and sparkling. Flesh tones are also natural. I think Paramount has done a wonderful job with this transfer.
9 out of 10
Audio
While not as striking as the video transfer, the audio is quite good as well. Paramount has included a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtrack and does the source justice. Dialogue comes across crisp and clear. Even when in a fight where one of the characters were whispering, the dialogue could be heard with clarity. Obviously given this movie's subject matter, the rear surrounds and the LFE channel are not going to be as active as in an action film. But the LFE channel does add some sonic weight to the movie. The rear speakers do a good job of filling in the ambiance of certain scenes. Voices come from multiple speakers as well and the panning from one speaker to the next is pretty seamless. All in all they have done a good job here as well.
8 out of 10
Extras
Here is what they have included in the way of extras:
Filmmakers' Audio Commentary
Lives of Quiet Desperation
The Wages of Truth
Deleted Scenes
Theatrical Trailer
For me the best feature included here was "The Wages of Truth". This feature details the author's career and work. Before going into this feature I expected it to be a fluff piece. But it is surprisingly in-depth. I don't normally recommend "Deleted Scenes", but some of these are interesting. They were cut for a reason, but the director explains why. The commentary track is focused, which is a good thing. They discuss casting, the adaptation of the novel, the production etc. So if you enjoy the film and what to know the back story to how it was made, the commentary track might be just the ticket. Overall there are some decent extras here and they are in HD which is nice.
8 out of 10
Overall
I didn't like the movie very much, but if you saw it in the theater and liked it, Paramount has given you a great disc, with great transfer, excellent audio and decent extras. So for the fan of the film I am recommending it. Foe everyone else I suggest a rental first.
7 out of 10