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Revolutionary Road Blu-ray Disc Review

By brenden ⋅ June 2, 2009 ⋅  Email This Post ⋅  Print This Post ⋅ Post a comment

REVOLUTIONARY ROAD (2008, Blu-ray released June 2, 2009 - MSRP $39.99)

Ok. This is far from my favourite movie but there’s something about director Sam Medes’ style and something about Thomas Newton’s music…maybe it just reminds me of their previous success, American Beauty, a thematically similar but far superior film. That vibe they create, the feeling of this film, the sort of fanciful suburban Americana dreamland punctuated by the pain of reality is strangely attractive. Revolutionary Road has got some powerhouse performances, true. Leo and Kate (and unsung hero of the film, Michael Shannon) all perform their asses off. Roger Deakins shoots some sumptuous suburban images. Newton’s music always hits the right note. But for some reason, the film comes off a bit uneven - like an early draft of a stage play.

The Blu-ray disc of Revolutionary Road however, validates my enthusiasm for the format. I saw this film in the theatre. It was a preview screening, the first run of the print through the projector. And it looked like dirty ass. Like a film that had been making the rep-theatre rounds for years. I felt insulted. Seriously! I did! I felt like I shouldn’t waste my time suffering through this shit when, if I can just hold out for a couple more months, I can see it in my home theatre in pristine HD. And now that I’ve seen what this film can look like, thanks to the Blu-ray, I feel vindicated in my rant. The transfer does Deacons proud. Another victory for the boys and girls over at Paramount’s home video devision. This thing is flawless.

The disc is packed with special features as well: director commentary with screenwriter, Justin Haythe, deleted scenes with commentary, a couple of featurettes and the theatrical trailer, all in 1080p HD.

GIVE AWAY: To win a copy of the Revolutionary Road Blu-ray, simply name the pair of filmmaking brothers who cinematographer Roger Deakins famously shoots for and list the films they’ve made together. The first person to get the answer right, wins!

Tags: Kate Winslet, Leonardo DiCaprio, Paramount, Reviews, Sam Mendes, Thomas Newton