This movie was amazing, the best i’ve seen in theatres in i’m not sure how long…

the movie touches on some tough themes, made even more complex by the social constraints of the fifties, not to mention the then emerging idea of suburban affluence.

there’s so much to discuss that it’s really quite hard to tackle it all…

winslet and dicaprio are a young couple living in the ‘hopeless emptiness’ of the american dream life…two children, a lovely house in the suburbs, etc.

both are realizing that they are gradually falling into the trap that they both felt they were far too clever for, too special.

these characters are a wonderful link of the atmosphere of the 50’s moving into the 60’s, when people began to question social and gender roles.

dicaprio is great but winslet is especially wonderful, conveying pages of dialogue with 8 seconds of a silent head shot…

there are layers upon layers in this movie. like i said, i can’t even go into it all. my husband and i talked for 45 minutes nonstop after we left, seeing ourselves as a young married couple mirrored in some parts of the movie (making decisions between a safe but boring career or finding what is truly satisfying, whether to play into the expected roles of society or not).

i don’t want to say too much in fear of ruining it. this movie reminds me of “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”, but I have to say, I think this is better.

i have to say though, i’m not sure many people were as affected by it as we were. there were people laughing at random parts in it that i found were definately NOT comedic. i took the realtor’s son to play a role similar to that of a greek chorus, not some comedy relief.

the themes addressed in this movie are intriguing to see played out against the backdrop of the fifties, but the ideas are as pertinent today as then. these are real issues.

anyhow, HIGHLY recommend. if you’re analytical and like to delve into the mechanics of relationships or explore the effect that societal/gender standards have on people, have fun!