This is going to make me sound like some sort of neo-conservative (which, trust me, I'm not), but here's a question which I often find myself asking: What does Hollywood have against marriage? It seems that every movie and TV show portray marriage as an awful pit of suffering in which women are out to ensnare men. Once someone gets married, according to the entertainment which we watch, they stop having fun, stop having sex (this one is always emphasized), and constantly fight. On what is this based? If this were true, then there wouldn't be any marriages. The drama Revolutionary Road brings this message home and never lets up.

Revolutionary Road opens at a party, where Frank (Leonardo DiCaprio) and April (Kate Winslet) meet. In a jarring move, the story then leaps ahead nearly a decade. Frank and April are married and live in the suburbs and they have two children. Frank works in the city, while April is a housewife. As we catch up with the couple, April has just participated in a local theater production. (She had studied to be an actress.) The failure of this play leads to a huge fight between Frank and April. The next day, they reconcile and begin to talk about their lives. Frank had visited Paris when he was in the military, and April asks him about this. He describes Paris as a vibrant place. April confesses that she has done the math and concluded that the family could afford to move to Paris and start their lives over again. Frank is surprised by this revelation, but he quickly embraces the plan, as he feels that their marriage and their entire existence has reached a dead end. Despite the fact that everyone around them questions their decision, the trans-Atlantic plan invigorates the couple and they begin to get along better than they have in years. However, as with any plans, there will be challenges here -- often devastating ones.

From the outset, Revolutionary Road is in your face, presenting a relationship which is brimming with problems. Director Sam Mendes has made the risky decision to introduce us to Frank and April and then, within the first five minutes of the movie, suddenly leap ahead to a time seven years into their marriage where they are having a knock-down-drag-out fight. We don't get a chance to see a courtship or the blossoming of their union. The movie throws us headfirst into the turmoil and we are off on an emotional roller-coaster. It becomes very clear that Frank and April have been unhappy for quite some time. The story shows us how lonely April is at home and how unfulfilled Frank is with his job. There are arguments and infidelities. However, once the couple decide to relocate to Paris, their mood lifts somewhat.

But, while the character's moods may lift, the movie's does not. Credit must go to Mendes for creating a palpable sense of unease in the movie. The decision to leap into the maelstrom puts the audience on edge and a pallor falls over the movie. Even when Frank and April appear to be happy, we can't shake the feeling that something is wrong. And this dark mood is the movie's eventual undoing. The vibe of Revolutionary Road is so constantly down and negative that it eventually wears on the viewer. Most viewers will have a sense that something is going to go wrong at some point. But, during the second half of the film, so many things begin to go wrong that it becomes numbing. By the 75-minute mark, we know that something tragic is going to happen to this couple -- it's simply a matter of when and whom. When the tragedy does occur, it should be moving or shocking, but it isn't, as we've been sitting and waiting for it. By forging ahead with dark emotions, dysfunctional characters, and no levity, Mendes has created a black palette which offers no reprieve for the viewer, but no surprises as well.

There's also a question of the character's motivations and how this effects the believability of the film. Again, the movie paints a simple and ignorant portrait that marriage and life in the suburbs equals sadness and disappointment. The movie never goes much farther in exploring the character's feelings. We know that April is a failed actress, but Frank admits to having no dreams, so how can he be disappointed? In the audio commentary, Mendes and Screenwriter Justin Haythe mention that the source novel has many inner monologues. We don't get those here, so we aren't sure from where all of this hatred is coming from. Before the plan to move to Paris, did Frank and April ever try anything else to reconcile their feelings? Given the current climate in America, it's difficult to feel sorry for a couple who have a nice house in the suburbs, where the husband has a good job.

Revolutionary Road is a superbly crafted film and DiCaprio and Winslet certainly hold nothing back with their emotional acting. However, the movie takes its initial ideas and themes and runs too far with them. The first half is interesting and unnerving, but the second half is simply depressing and wearing, like watching a sporting event where the score is 50-0 at halftime.

Paramount Home Entertainment has also brought Revolutionary Road to DVD. The film has been letterboxed at 2.35:1 and the transfer is enhanced for 16 x 9 TVs. The image is certainly softer than the Blu-ray Disc and not as crisp. The image seems a bit shaky at times and the grain is once again present. There is some artifacting, but the colors look fine. The DVD has a Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track which delivers clear dialogue and sound effects. The stereo effects are good, and again, the nightclub scene is impressive.