Oct 02, 2001 04:18 AM
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I am the sort of person who stupidly often judges a film purely by its title, as I'm sure so many others do. Which is why I never actually intended to go and see this film. It sounded to me like a soppy, romantic comedy, the sort that makes you laugh once or twice, and then you forget about. I only ended up watching it when I discovered that 'The Bone Collector', the film I had originally gone to see, was no longer showing, and I found myself looking for an alternative. There really is a silver lining to every cloud.
American Beauty focuses on the seemingly ordinary family of Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey), for whom repetition has become a way of life. His wife, Carolyn (Annette Bening), is having a midlife crisis of her own while his daughter Jane (Thora Birch) can't stand the sight of him.
However, when lester finds his job at risk, he decides to catch up on the years he has missed. When he falls in love with Jane's best friend, Angela (Mena Suvari), he begins to rediscover his youth, smoking pot, lifting weights and keeping work to a minimum. However, Lester's easygoing lifestyle drives his wife and daughter further away, and hostility mounts until the day when it all explodes.
The film is brilliantly cast and well-scripted throughout, especially seeing as this was director Sam Mendes' feature-length debut. Spacey leads the pack with a stunning performance as always, and Bening also does unsurprisingly well. Suvari shows that her talents extend further than American Pie, and is brilliantly suited to her part.
I must admit that the first time I watched this film, although I really enjoyed it, I wasn't quite sure why. Then I saw it again and everything became clear.
The film somehow succeeds in showing the true beauty of life, without being naive to the horrors of reality. I think one of the main things it demonstrates is the insignificance of society in comparison to the significance of peace of mind. However, it is one of those films that will mean something different to everyone, the sort that seems to trigger emotional memory.
Although the plot looks boring on paper, the constantly changing script makes it obvious why this film won five oscars, and doesn't allow for a moment of boredom.
Even the soundtrack is a work of art, including the unforgettable 'American Dream' by Jacatta.
I strongly believe that a good film should always leave you deep in thought, and this certainly does that. It is perfect length at just over two hours, and is the most original film I have seen recently. It is one of the few films in which you can easily relate to every character, and it somehow manages to tell the story without taking sides. A true masterpiece.
