It wasn’t long ago that an entire generation of young girls swooned over the notion of love powerful enough to persevere despite a giant iceberg. Now, 12 years later, the same on-screen couple that generated that crazy belief reunites to destroy it completely in Revolutionary Road.

Based on the book of the same title by Richard Yates, Revolutionary Road stars Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio, as April and Frank Wheeler, a young couple dealing with the realities of married life in 1950s suburbia. This film reveals a darker side to the flowering post — WWII generation — the Wheelers are no Cleavers, and the Beaver is certainly not around to lighten the mood.

In fact, there’s not a single funny moment in this entire movie, at least not intentionally. Within the first 10 minutes, the depressing tone is set and consistently reiterated. Director Sam Mendes well illustrates the monotony of their life and their dissatisfaction with it.

Though DiCaprio does an impressive job as Frank Wheeler, it is Winslet who ultimately steals the show. She is well deserving of the Golden Globe she received for her portrayal of a woman unhappily restricted to the role of housewife and mother.

As it was in Titanic, the intensity of the chemistry between Winslet and DiCaprio is emotionally provocative. There are moments, however, when it appears that the drama is far more realistic in the subtle expressions of the actors than in the dialogue. Maybe it’s a result of the continual lack of any comic relief throughout the film, but the awkward 1950s colloquialisms are far funnier than they probably should be. Similarly, while the film succeeds at developing the Wheelers’ story, the rest of the characters seem almost like an afterthought, and are amusingly one-dimensional. One possible exception would be John Givings (played by Michael Shannon), the institutionalized son of their real estate agent who fails to conform to the suburban ideal. Yet even he lacks any real depth, as any idiosyncrasies he depicts are credited to his supposed insanity. With the benefit of doubt, perhaps the supporting characters are deliberately meant to be vapid, as their dullness only serves to enhance the drama of the Wheelers.

Without giving anything away, Jack’s death at the end of Titanic pales in comparison to the drama of Revolutionary Road. This is definitely not a feel-good movie.

Masako Hirsch can be reached at [email protected].