kate!

As everyone knows, I am slightly obsessed with Kate Winslet. She is just so incredibly talented, and does extraordinary and interesting work. This holiday season has been no exception to this. With two movies, she again shows her fearlessness and incredible range. In both cases, I actually read the book that the movie was based on prior to seeing the film.

REVOLUTIONARY ROAD

This is one heck of a story. Written and set in the 60's, the story follows a family living in the suburbs. The couple, Frank and April Wheeler are both miserable, feeling trapped, and feeling like they were/are destined for something more. However, they don't seem to be going anywhere. Both Kate and Leo are magnificent in this film. I feel like the work that Leonardo DiCaprio did in this film is truly the best of his career. The scenes between the two of them (when things are going particularly badly) are so explosive, and truly heartbreaking to watch. They both do so much, and are supported by a fabulous supporting cast, including Kathryn Hahn (who was fantastic in BOEING BOEING on Broadway!) and the amazing Michael Shannon as the disturbed son of the Wheeler's real-estate agent. This movie is dark....and sad. The film has a very stylized feel, that I totally thought worked. However, I know that others have been critical of Sam Mendes' vision. I walked out of the movie saddened and moved, and only wishing every movie I saw contained such extraordinary performances.

Final thoughts: Dark, depressing, and full of unbelievable performances. Kate and Leo give performances that will astound you.

THE READER

THE READER is another incredibly dark and complicated story, and Kate tackles (with immense grace and poise) a very difficult role. Hanna, a 35 year-old, begins an affair with a 15 year-old boy, and eventually just ends up disappearing after a couple of months. The boy then runs into Hanna again several years later whilst he is in school to be a lawyer when he attends a trial for women who were guards at concentration camps during WWII. She is on trial. David Kross gives an unbelievable performance as the young man. He is on his way to a huge career. Kate, of course, is brilliant....and the two together are quite compelling. The subject matter is disturbing - and their are some quite explicit sexual scenes which are a bit disconcerting as he is a child.

Final thoughts: Heavy material, but executed extremely well.

photo credit: www.movieweb.com