Richard Yates's 1961 novel about a young couple staring into the abyss of the American Dream myth provides director Sam Mendes ("American Beauty") with plenty of emotional ammunition to fuel this gorgeous but devastating drama.
Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet are perfectly cast as Frank and April Wheeler, a married couple with two kids and a dream of abandoning their cookie-cutter suburban lifestyle for a new start in Paris.
Everyday, 30-year-old Frank commutes into Manhattan from their perfect split-level house in Connecticut while April keeps house. Both are smart and articulate enough to see the dead-end before them but April has a sharper sense of the immediacy of their plight.
Michael Shannon pulls off a high-wire supporting actor performance as John Givings, a mentally indigent visitor who all too accurately assesses the couple's problems during his brief weekend visits to their home.
This is an intense romantic drama that barley allows the viewer to catch their breath.
Leo DiCaprio and Winslet give stunning performances that resonate long after the movie is over.
There will be tears.
