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American Beauty (The Awards Edition) Customer Reviews (76 - 78 of 109 Reviews)

more than meets the eye
American Beauty is an example of director Sam Mendes' unconventional approach to film making. He takes Lester Burnham, played by Kevin Spacey, and launches him into the deepest midlife crisis, perhaps ever seen on screen. Spawned from a lusting over one of his daughter's, Janie's, played by Thora Birch, friends Angela, played by Mena Suvari, Lester finds himself in a new world. He blackmails his boss, becomes friends with the boy next door Ricky, who also happens to be Janie's love interest, buys a sports car, starts working out, and smoking pot. He has amazingly contradictory moods, as he goes from subservient husband to demanding his 'proper' place in his family.
It is through Ricky's camera lens that Mendes' want us to see the beauty of everything in the movie. With Lester's obsession with Angela and society seeming to point out everything about her as perfect, one would assume she is what is supposed to be beautiful. However, Ricky's lens focuses on Janie. He sees her as beautiful, and makes her feel that way. The Roses in the movie show up every where in the Burnham household, and the vibrant color red as well, pointing out where Ricky's camera does not, that beauty is everywhere. There are roses in every room, in every scene whether people are fighting, or reflecting upon something. Mendes uses Ricky's camera as a tool to reveal the deeper meaning to things normal society may not see, such as Janie's beauty over Angela's.
While unconventional, Mendes does and excellent job at revealing the underlying power struggles and beauty in his characters lives. Between Lester's fight for dominance over his wife, and the strategic placement of roses this movie certainly portrays much more than it appears to just on the surface.

In the great tradition of the authentic artistic films
Sam Mendes made his masterpiece to date following carefully the path of golden directors . Think in Billy Wilder to be exact.
Watch for the opening sequence. The camera is a butterfly who sets us in perspective with the voice in off introducing us to the center of the drama.
In this sense I inmediatly reminded Sunset Boulevard , but this secret homagge to that giant film is not a sin.
The script is amazing. It bretahes and allows laughing situations with Spacey and about him , beside the awful emotional crossroad he lives.
Andre Maurois told once : There's an age dramatic for the man , in which he is capable to raise the passion in a woman but not satisfying her *.
And this idea is involved in this film . Rapture images as the famous roses bed and the face of the teenager Angela Hayes (Mena Suwari) who plays the role of femme fatale , superb performance of Anette Bening and above all , the development of the secondary drama of the troubled officer , makes this film as the best dramatic film in many years ; and that means a great hope for those film makers who seem think that the special effects are fundamental in every film.
And this film is the best proof to deny that false premise!

This is a very good movie, but...
I'm not sure this is "best Picture" material. But hey, they gave that total piece of crap "Gladiator" best picture. Anyway, I like Kevin Spacey, but something told me I wasn't going to like this. I was wrong, I enjoyed this movie very much and I will buy a copy, it's good enough to watch over and over again. Bravo!

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