Unfortunate results tend to ensue when Hollywood moguls cast their significant others in leading roles.
For Sam Mendes, it doesn't hurt being married to Kate Winslet.
The acclaimed director of "Road to Perdition" brings to life Richard Yates' novel "Revolutionary Road" - a 1950s prequel of sorts to Mendes' masterpiece "American Beauty."
Reuniting the co-stars of the box office smash "Titanic," the film focuses on the lives of Frank (Leonardo DiCaprio) and April Wheeler (Winslet) as they settle into the comforts of suburban living.
But therein lies the problem - both Frank and April suffer from wanderlust as their dreams don't necessarily include owning the big house on the hill with the white picket fence.
April clings to the fantasy of putting her mundane life aside and uprooting her family to move to Paris - alas, playing the lead at the neighborhood theater must suffice for the time being.
Bogged down by a monotonous desk job in Manhattan, Frank holds little regard for his position, as a typical day at the office places more emphasis on where to eat lunch than emptying his inbox.
To the outsiders and perhaps even those who think they know the Wheelers best, Frank, April and their two children epitomize the quintessential 1950s family.
Sadly, there is no happiness at the well-kept house on Revolutionary Road. Instead, the film tracks a hopeless quest for a revised American Dream - ultimately leading to dire consequences.
Beyond the stellar efforts of the two leads, Michael Shannon delivers a gripping performance as John Givings, the medically troubled son of the Wheelers' real estate agent. His brutal honesty provides a stark contrast to a world willing to subscribe to self-delusion.
Revolutionary Road offers a bleak, if not sobering, account of how life in a bedroom community can prove to be a trite existence.
For many, the plight of Frank and April Wheeler may not deviate so far from their own.
