"American Beauty"
American Beauty (1999)
"American Beauty" can definitely be called one of the greatest films of our time in showing the effects of American sub-urban culture on the middle classes. Starring Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening, Thora Birch and Mena Suvari, the movie deservedly won a whopping 5 Oscars in the categories of Best Actor (Kevin Spacey), Best Director (Sam Mendes), Best Cinematography, Best Writing and the most important, Best Picture. The movie has become an almost cult classic and has inspired such hit shows as "Desperate Housewives".
Plot synopsis:
Lester Burnam (Spacey) seems to be going through a middle-life crisis. He is slowly slipping further and further into his depression despite of living the "perfect" life in a "perfect" neighbour with his "perfect" wife. This sadly is not true. He feels that all excitement in life has been taken away with having the same, mundane routine day after day.
His wife, Carolyn (Bening) seems like a successful estate agent, perfect in every way but behind closed doors, she isn't the same woman as she appear to be, breaking down in tears and bossing her husband about.
Their daughter, Jane (Birch), seems a reclusive teenager, depressed by the same old suburban life. She befriends her new neighbour, Ricky, a strange, quiet drug-dealing camera-man with a strict, homophobic military father. After a few unfriendly first encounters, they eventually find happiness in each other's company, perhaps realising how much they need each other in this society.
The story centres around Lester's choice to change his life completely around and living for today all in the hope of having an affair with Jane's schoolfriend, Angela (Suvari). The story shows the changes each character experiences over a short space of time, from their mundane, repetitive lives, to their new remotely interesting and enjoyable secretive activities, none of which could be accepted in middle-class suburbia. The ouctomes, however, don't end in as happy a way as they all had hoped.
My thoughts:
I personally love "American Beauty". The American middle-class suburban culture has always fascinated me since reading "Death of Salesman" and watching it performed on stage. Just as "Death of Salesman" can be seen as a tragedy of contemporary society, so can "American Beauty".
The performances from all actors are incredible, pulling you into the story and allowing you to feel their sheer boredom at the beginning to their secretive fervour they all indulge in. The awards for acting are well deserved in all of the award competitions they entered into.
The black humour of it all is something that makes the film thoroughly enjoyable - from one of Lester's opening statements ("Within a year, I will be dead.") up until we see that Lester dies with a smile on his face. The darkness of sub-urban American really makes the film worth watching, so I suggest if you haven't already, go find the film and enjoy all it has to offer!
10/10
"American Beauty" can definitely be called one of the greatest films of our time in showing the effects of American sub-urban culture on the middle classes. Starring Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening, Thora Birch and Mena Suvari, the movie deservedly won a whopping 5 Oscars in the categories of Best Actor (Kevin Spacey), Best Director (Sam Mendes), Best Cinematography, Best Writing and the most important, Best Picture. The movie has become an almost cult classic and has inspired such hit shows as "Desperate Housewives".
Plot synopsis:
Lester Burnam (Spacey) seems to be going through a middle-life crisis. He is slowly slipping further and further into his depression despite of living the "perfect" life in a "perfect" neighbour with his "perfect" wife. This sadly is not true. He feels that all excitement in life has been taken away with having the same, mundane routine day after day.
His wife, Carolyn (Bening) seems like a successful estate agent, perfect in every way but behind closed doors, she isn't the same woman as she appear to be, breaking down in tears and bossing her husband about.
Their daughter, Jane (Birch), seems a reclusive teenager, depressed by the same old suburban life. She befriends her new neighbour, Ricky, a strange, quiet drug-dealing camera-man with a strict, homophobic military father. After a few unfriendly first encounters, they eventually find happiness in each other's company, perhaps realising how much they need each other in this society.
The story centres around Lester's choice to change his life completely around and living for today all in the hope of having an affair with Jane's schoolfriend, Angela (Suvari). The story shows the changes each character experiences over a short space of time, from their mundane, repetitive lives, to their new remotely interesting and enjoyable secretive activities, none of which could be accepted in middle-class suburbia. The ouctomes, however, don't end in as happy a way as they all had hoped.
I personally love "American Beauty". The American middle-class suburban culture has always fascinated me since reading "Death of Salesman" and watching it performed on stage. Just as "Death of Salesman" can be seen as a tragedy of contemporary society, so can "American Beauty".
The performances from all actors are incredible, pulling you into the story and allowing you to feel their sheer boredom at the beginning to their secretive fervour they all indulge in. The awards for acting are well deserved in all of the award competitions they entered into.
The black humour of it all is something that makes the film thoroughly enjoyable - from one of Lester's opening statements ("Within a year, I will be dead.") up until we see that Lester dies with a smile on his face. The darkness of sub-urban American really makes the film worth watching, so I suggest if you haven't already, go find the film and enjoy all it has to offer!
10/10
posted by Atomic440 at
01:22
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