Movie: Revolutionary Road * Trailer * Official Site	In Theaters: Dec. 26, 2008; On  DVD: June 2, 2009
Runtime: 119 minutes	Directed by: Sam Mendes
MPAA Rating: R for language and some sexual content/nudity	Gecko Rating:

As a rule, I generally don’t like movies that revolve around couples arguing. But as you can see above, I gave "Revolutionary Road" 5 out of 5 Geckos, and the reason is simple: Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio.

As I was watching this movie, I kept thinking, here’s a couple who really work well together. It’s like they’re hardly acting, because they’re so natural with each other, their dialogue and actions playing beautifully off each other. They’re a modern-day Kate Hepburn and Spencer Tracy, only way more intense and dramatic.

"Revolutionary Road" takes place in 1955 and follows the story of Frank and April Wheeler (Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet). They’ve been married seven years and reside in a Connecticut suburb with two young kids. Frank takes the train to NYC where he works in the same office his father worked for 20 years. April stays home and tends to the house and kids.

But they’re both miserable. They realize they’ve bought into the whole picket-fence business, but neither is happy about it. While Frank was never quite sure what he wanted to do with his life, April once dreamed of becoming an actress.

One day, she brings up the wild idea of moving to Paris. They’ve got six months of living expenses saved up; now is their chance to make a break for it. The plan is for April to land a high-paying secretarial job for one of the major international organizations, giving Frank the free time to figure out what he wants to do.

Without giving away any major spoilers, their plans abruptly change. The story gradually turns from a couple seeking to break away and live the life they’re always dreamed about, to an angst-ridden housewife who will do whatever it takes to escape from her current life.

If you’d like to retain any nostalgic feelings you have about the 1950s, you’d best not see "Revolutionary Road." It’s a depressing look at an era where people were expected to follow a certain path, and those who didn’t were looked upon as crazy. In fact, the only person who seems to understand where the Wheelers are coming from is their realtor’s son, who’s logged time in a mental hospital. Kathy Bates plays their realtor; Michael Shannon plays her son.

You get the feeling that some people would love to escape from their lives – including the Wheeler’s neighbors, Shep and Milly Campbell (David Harbour and Kathryn Hahn) and the realtor’s husband (Richard Easton). But they realize it’s just a dream. They’re destined to live out their days going to a job they hate and perhaps living with a person they hate, as well.

This movie has been making the rounds on the awards circuit; including three Oscar nominations, a Best Actress Golden Globe for Winslet; and several other wins and nominations. It’s easy to see why. I loved everything about this movie, especially the performances of Winslet and DiCaprio, so nuanced and spot-on in their angst and passion and desperation.

The original music by Thomas Newman is captivating; also, great attention was paid to the wonderful 1950s-era details: clothes, cars, homes, furniture, everything just took you right back to that era. Check out the pictures below, and you’ll see what I mean.

DVD Bonus Features:

• Commentary with director Sam Mendes and screenwriter Justin Haythe
• Deleted scenes with optional commentary by director Sam Mendes and screenwriter Justin Haythe
• Lives of Quiet Desperation: The Making of Revolutionary Road

Images: Revolutionary Road, DreamWorks Distribution, 2008

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Revolutionary Road (R). Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio team up again (remember “Titanic”?!) in this tale of repressed suburbia in the 1950s. Film Gecko Review [Official Site]

Defiance (R). Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber, and Jamie Bell are three Jewish brothers who escape into the woods to escape the Nazis, and end up helping others in the process. Based on a true story. [Official Site]

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I mean, really! Check out her Awards page on IMDB.com. It’s a mile long! And this is nothing new for her; she’s been winning awards since the 1990s.

Winslet has taken her clothes off in a lot of those movies, but now she’s saying no more. In an interview with Time magazine, she says, “I think I won’t do it again: a) I can’t keep getting away with it, and b) I don’t want to become ‘that actress who always gets her kit off.’” Such a way with words she has.

Winslet credits her workaholic tendencies to her upbringing, saying she comes from “a long line of real cart horses.”

“Very stoic, insides-made-of-iron people. So I can take any s*** you can fling at me. I can cope with any workload. I can deal with lack of sleep. I can multitask like you’ve no idea. But two weeks ago, I actually had a panic attack, my first one. I didn’t know what it was! … I called my sister and said, ‘I can’t breathe, and I feel like I’ve got a brick on my chest and I’m seeing funny, and it sounds like everyone’s talking to me in Hebrew.’ She said, ‘Yeah, that’s a panic attack.’”

So even though she’s an accomplished actress, good to know she’s still like the rest of us!

Image: Newscom

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As a rule, I generally don’t like movies that revolve around couples arguing. But as you can see above, I gave "Revolutionary Road" 5 out of 5 Geckos, and the reason is simple: Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio.

As I was watching this movie, I kept thinking, here’s a couple who really work well together. It’s like they’re hardly acting, because they’re so natural with each other, their dialogue and actions playing beautifully off each other. They’re a modern-day Kate Hepburn and Spencer Tracy, only way more intense and dramatic.

"Revolutionary Road" takes place in 1955 and follows the story of Frank and April Wheeler (Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet). They’ve been married seven years and reside in a Connecticut suburb with two young kids. Frank takes the train to NYC where he works in the same office his father worked for 20 years. April stays home and tends to the house and kids.

But they’re both miserable. They realize they’ve bought into the whole picket-fence business, but neither is happy about it. While Frank was never quite sure what he wanted to do with his life, April once dreamed of becoming an actress.

One day, she brings up the wild idea of moving to Paris. They’ve got six months of living expenses saved up; now is their chance to make a break for it. The plan is for April to land a high-paying secretarial job for one of the major international organizations, giving Frank the free time to figure out what he wants to do.

Without giving away any major spoilers, their plans abruptly change. The story gradually turns from a couple seeking to break away and live the life they’re always dreamed about, to an angst-ridden housewife who will do whatever it takes to escape from her current life.

If you’d like to retain any nostalgic feelings you have about the 1950s, you’d best not see "Revolutionary Road." It’s a depressing look at an era where people were expected to follow a certain path, and those that didn’t were looked upon as crazy. In fact, the only person who seems to understand where the Wheelers are coming from is their realtor’s son, who’s logged time in a mental hospital. Kathy Bates plays their realtor; Michael Shannon plays her son.

You get the feeling that some people would love to escape from their lives – including the Wheeler’s neighbors, Shep and Milly Campbell (David Harbour and Kathryn Hahn) and the realtor’s husband (Richard Easton). But they realize it’s just a dream. They’re destined to live out their days going to a job they hate and perhaps living with a person they hate, as well.

This movie has been making the rounds on the awards circuit; including three Oscar nominations, a Best Actress Golden Globe for Winslet; and several other wins and nominations. It’s easy to see why. I loved everything about this movie, especially the performances of Winslet and DiCaprio, so nuanced and spot-on in their angst and passion and desperation.

The original music by Thomas Newman is captivating; also, great attention was paid to the wonderful 1950s-era details: clothes, cars, homes, furniture, everything just took you right back to that era. Check out the pictures below, and you’ll see what I mean.

Images: Revolutionary Road, DreamWorks Distribution, 2008

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Inkheart.

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans. This prequel story traces the origins of the centuries-old blood feud between the aristocratic vampires known as Death Dealers and their one-time slaves, the Lycans. Rated R. Official Site

Slumdog Millionaire (wide). Jamal Malik, an 18 year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai, is just one question away from winning a staggering 20 million rupees on India’s “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?” Rated R. Preview & Trailer

Frost/Nixon (wide). In 1977, three years after the Watergate scandal that ended his presidency, Richard Nixon (Frank Langella) selects British TV personality David Frost (Michael Sheen) to conduct a one-on-one exclusive interview. Rated R. Preview & Trailer

More after the jump…

Revolutionary Road (wide). Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet play Frank and April Wheeler, a young couple trying to find fulfillment in the 1950s era of conformity. Rated R. Preview & Trailer

The Dark Knight: The IMAX Experience. Yes, it’s back, featuring six sequences filmed with IMAX® cameras. This marks the first time that a major feature film has been even partially shot using IMAX cameras. Rated PG-13. Film Gecko Review

Image: Inkheart, New Line Cinema, 2009

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The 66th Annual Golden Globes Awards

And tearful Kate Winslet was charming when she gave her speech for winning Best Actress. Here’s the rundown, with the winners marked with asterisks. And I guess I’d better see "Slumdog Millionaire" before the Oscars!

Cecil B. DeMille Award

***Steven Spielberg

Best Motion Picture – Drama

***Slumdog Millionaire
Fox Searchlight Pictures and Warner Bros.; Fox Searchlight Pictures and Warner Bros.

The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
Warner Bros. Pictures and Paramount Pictures; Warner Bros. Pictures and Paramount Pictures

Frost/Nixon
Imagine Entertainment, Working Title, Studio Canal; Universal Pictures

The Reader
Mirage Enterprises; The Weinstein Company

Revolutionary Road
An Evamere Entertainment BBC Films Neal Street Production; DreamWorks Pictures in Association with BBC Films and Paramount Vantage

More after the jump…

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama

***Kate Winslet – Revolutionary Road

Anne Hathaway – Rachel Getting Married

Angelina Jolie – Changeling

Meryl Streep – Doubt

Kristin Scott Thomas – I’ve Loved You So Long

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama

***Mickey Rourke – The Wrestler

Leonardo DiCaprio – Revolutionary Road

Frank Langella – Frost/Nixon

Sean Penn – Milk

Brad Pitt – The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button

Best Motion Picture – Musical Or Comedy

***Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Mediapro; The Weinstein Company

Burn After Reading
Working Title/Releasing Company; Focus Features in association with Studio Canal

Happy-Go-Lucky
Summit Entertainment, Film4, Ingenious Film Partners, Miramax Films; Miramax Films

In Bruges
Blueprint Pictures; Focus Features

Mamma Mia!
Relativity Media, Playtone, Littlestar; Universal Pictures

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

***Sally Hawkins – Happy-Go-Lucky

Rebecca Hall – Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Frances McDormand – Burn After Reading

Meryl Streep – Mamma Mia!

Emma Thompson – Last Chance Harvey

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical Or Comedy

***Colin Farrell – In Bruges

Javier Bardem – Vicky Cristina Barcelona

James Franco – Pineapple Express

Brendan Gleeson – In Bruges

Dustin Hoffman – Last Chance Harvey

Best Performance by an Actress In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

***Kate Winslet – The Reader

Amy Adams – Doubt

Penélope Cruz – Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Viola Davis – Doubt

Marisa Tomei – The Wrestler

Best Performance by an Actor In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

***Heath Ledger – The Dark Knight

Tom Cruise – Tropic Thunder

Robert Downey Jr. – Tropic Thunder

Ralph Fiennes – The Duchess

Philip Seymour Hoffman – Doubt

Best Animated Feature Film

***Wall-E
Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation Studios; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Bolt
Walt Disney Pictures; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Kung Fu Panda
DreamWorks Animation SKG; Paramount Pictures

Best Foreign Language Film

***Waltz With Bashir (Israel)
The Country of Israel
Bridgit Folman Film Gang/Les Films D’Ici/Razor Films/Arte France/ITVS International; Sony Pictures Classics

The Baader Meinhof Complex (Germany)
The Country of Germany
(DER BAADER MEINHOF KOMPLEX) Constantin Film Produktion GmbH; Summit Entertainment, LLC

Everlasting Moments (Sweden, Denmark)
The Country of Sweden and The Country of Denmark
(MARIA LARSSONS EVIGA ÖGONBLICK) Final Cut Productions Aps; IFC Films

Gomorrah (Italy)
The Country of Italy
(GOMORRA) Fandango; IFC Films

I’ve Loved You So Long (France)
The Country of France
(IL Y A LONGTEMPS QUE JE T’AIME) UGC YM/UGC Images/France 3 Cinema/Integral Film; Sony Pictures Classics

Best Director – Motion Picture

***Danny Boyle – Slumdog Millionaire

Stephen Daldry – The Reader

David Fincher – The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button

Ron Howard – Frost/Nixon

Sam Mendes – Revolutionary Road

Best Screenplay – Motion Picture

***Slumdog Millionaire
Written by Simon Beaufoy

The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
Written by Eric Roth

Doubt
Written by John Patrick Shanley

Frost/Nixon
Written by Peter Morgan

The Reader
Written by David Hare

Best Original Score – Motion Picture

***Slumdog Millionaire
Composed by A. R. Rahman

The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
Composed by Alexandre Desplat

Changeling
Composed by Clint Eastwood

Defiance
Composed by James Newton Howard

Frost/Nixon
Composed by Hans Zimmer

Best Original Song – Motion Picture

***"The Wrestler" – The Wrestler
Music & Lyrics By: Bruce Springsteen

"Down To Earth" – Wall-E
Music By: Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman
Lyrics By: Peter Gabriel

"Gran Torino" – Gran Torino
Music By: Clint Eastwood, Jamie Cullum, Kyle Eastwood and Michael Stevens
Lyrics By: Jamie Cullum

"I Thought I Lost You" – Bolt
Music & Lyrics By: Miley Cyrus and Jeffrey Steele

"Once In A Lifetime" – Cadillac Records
Music & Lyrics By: Beyoncé Knowles, Amanda Ghost, Scott McFarmon, Ian Dench, James Dring and Jody Street

Best Television Series – Drama

***Mad Men (AMC)
Lionsgate

Dexter (SHOWTIME)

House (FOX)
Heel and Toe Films, Shore Z Productions and Bad Hat Harry Productions in association with Universal Media Studios

In Treatment (HBO)
Sheleg, Closest To The Hole Productions and Leverage in association with HBO Entertainment

True Blood (HBO)
Your Face Goes Here Productions in association with HBO Entertainment

Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series – Drama

***Anna Paquin – True Blood (HBO)

Sally Field – Brothers & Sisters (ABC)

Mariska Hargitay – Law & Order

January Jones – Mad Men (AMC)

Kyra Sedgwick – The Closer (TNT)

Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series – Drama

***Gabriel Byrne – In Treatment (HBO)

Michael C. Hall – Dexter (SHOWTIME)

Jon Hamm – Mad Men (AMC)

Hugh Laurie – House (FOX)

Jonathan Rhys Meyers – The Tudors (SHOWTIME)

Best Television Series – Musical Or Comedy

***30 Rock (NBC)
Universal Media Studios in association with Broadway Video and Little Stranger Inc.

Californication (SHOWTIME)
Showtime Presents in association with Aggressive Mediocrity, and Then…, Twilight Time Films

Entourage (HBO)
Leverage and Closest to the Hole Productions in association with HBO Entertainment

The Office (NBC)
Deedle Dee Productions/Reveille/NBC Universal Television Studio; NBC

Weeds (SHOWTIME)
Showtime/Lionsgate Television/Tilted Productions, Inc.; SHOWTIME

Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series – Musical Or Comedy

***Tina Fey – 30 Rock (NBC)

Christina Applegate – Samantha Who? (ABC)

America Ferrera – Ugly Betty (ABC)

Debra Messing – The Starter Wife (USA)

Mary-Louise Parker – Weeds (SHOWTIME)

Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series – Musical Or Comedy

***Alec Baldwin – 30 Rock (NBC)

Steve Carell – The Office (NBC)

Kevin Connolly – Entourage (HBO)

David Duchovny – Californication (SHOWTIME)

Tony Shalhoub – Monk (USA)

Best Mini-Series Or Motion Picture Made for Television

***John Adams (HBO)
Playtone in association with HBO Films

A Raisin In The Sun (ABC)
Sony Pictures Television, Storyline Entertainment, and Bad Boy Worldwide Entertainment

Bernard And Doris (HBO)
Trigger Street Independent Productions in association with Little Bird and Chicago Films and HBO Films

Cranford (PBS)
A Co-Production of BBC and WGBH Boston.

Recount (HBO)
Spring Creek/Mirage Productions in association with Trigger Street Productions, Everyman Pictures and HBO Films

Best Performance by an Actress In A Mini-series or Motion Picture Made for Television

***Laura Linney – John Adams (HBO)

Judi Dench – Cranford (PBS)

Catherine Keener – An American Crime

Shirley MacLaine – Coco Chanel

Susan Sarandon – Bernard And Doris (HBO)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

***Paul Giamatti – John Adams (HBO)

Ralph Fiennes – Bernard And Doris (HBO)

Kevin Spacey – Recount (HBO)

Kiefer Sutherland – 24 (FOX)

Tom Wilkinson – Recount (HBO)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

***Laura Dern – Recount (HBO)

Eileen Atkins – Cranford (PBS)

Melissa George – In Treatment (HBO)

Rachel Griffiths – Brothers & Sisters (ABC)

Dianne Wiest – In Treatment (HBO)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

***Tom Wilkinson – John Adams (HBO

Neil Patrick Harris – How I Met Your Mother (CBS)

Denis Leary – Recount (HBO)

Jeremy Piven – Entourage (HBO)

Blair Underwood – In Treatment (HBO)

Image: Newscom; Rourke – Lionel Hahn/Abaca Press/MCT; Winslet – Peter Gonzaga_Pacific Rim Photo Press

Source: GoldenGlobes.org

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Maggie Gyllenhaal (pictured) noted on the red carpet that while it’s hard to talk about her friend Ledger, she feels that he’s very deserving of the award.

Presenter Demi Moore presented a brief clip of Ledger’s work in the film and afterwards, "Dark Knight" director Christopher Nolan accepted Ledger’s posthumous award, doing so with "a mixture of sadness and incredible pride."

Rather than dwelling on the gap left by Ledger’s death, Nolan said he preferred to concentrate on "the incredible place in the history of world cinema he built for himself."

More after the jump…

Also emotional was Sally Hawkins, named Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical for her role as a North London schoolteacher in "Happy-Go-Lucky." As Hawkins choked up on stage, Emma Thompson offered her support from the audience. Thompson, Meryl Streep, and Frances McDormand were also nominated in the category.

The Jonas Brothers presented the Best Animated Feature category, won by "Wall*E." Excellent news on that front. Loved that movie.

Jennifer Lopez kicked off the show by presenting the night’s first award. "Hello! Mama talking! Mama talking!" she said, trying to quiet the crowd so she could read the nominees’ names. She then announced the first winner, Kate Winslet, as Best Supporting Actress for "The Reader." Clutching her trophy and unwrapping a sheet of paper, Winslet apologized for her long speech, saying, "I have a habit of not winning."

She also apologized to her husband, "Revolutionary Road" director Sam Mendes, noting, "I’m sorry I was so mental at the end."

Bruce Springsteen won for Best Song from "The Wrestler," laughing that "this is the only time I’ll be in competition with Clint Eastwood. It felt pretty good too."

Anna Pacquin won for her role as Sookie Stackhouse in HBO’s "True Blood" (yay!), while Gabriel Byrne won as Best Actor for his starring role on the same network’s "In Therapy."

Check back later for more on the Golden Globes!

Image: Newscom

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Watch the video after the jump…

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The actress says she became so emotional filming scenes for her new movie "Revolutionary Road" that she threw up.

Winslet stars as a depressed housewife opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in the film, about a young couple living with their two children in a Connecticut suburb in the 1950s.

A scene in which Winslet’s character phones her children before taking a life-changing step was so heart-wrenching to shoot, she actually became physically sick.

She tells British Elle magazine, "I just kept thinking, ‘She’s a mother to a girl and boy almost identical ages to my own.’ It got to me. There was only so much my body could take from all that churned up emotion, and I threw up."

Image: Revolutionary Road, DreamWorks Distribution, 2008

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