After watching American Beauty I left the cinema feeling lifeless. The movie did not inspire any particular emotion in me, but it actually removed good feelings from inside me. I did not enjoy this movie at all. It may be a "real" look at what has become of the "American Dream" - but frankly, I don't need to see it.
There were characters, such as the gay neighbours, who featured so little in the movie that I have to wonder why they were brought in to the story at all. There were also the new neighbours with a military father and a disturbed mother. The mother's story brought to the surface so many issues which could have been delved into much deeper. But instead her situation is presented to the viewer and then left, as if it is no longer of consequence. The focus is on other people, other themes, and this even gets repetitive.
I felt too that the director did not credit the audience with much intelligence. The common theme when the middle-aged man and young girl are together is red roses. This is their symbol. But in every scene where they are together this theme was carried out to blatantly that I found it insulting. It was as if the director was saying, "do you get it now?" Yes! It's really not that complicated!
This movie falls under no category really. It is disturbing, and I found it thoroughly unenjoyable.
Production Year: 1995 - Drama - Director: Ang Lee - Original Language: English - Classification: Universal - Starring: Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant, Greg Wise, Hugh Laurie, Robert Hardy
Production Year: 2007 - Drama - Director: Mike Binder - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Adam Sandler, Don Cheadle, Jada Pinkett, Liv Tyler, Saffron Burrows, Donald Sutherland, Mike Binder
Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
Production Year: 1998 - Drama - Director: Carl Franklyn, Carl Franklin - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Meryl Streep, William Hurt, Renee Zellweger, Tom Everett Scott, Nicky Katt, Lauren Graham
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From its first gliding aerial shot of a generic suburban street,American Beautymoves with ... more
a mesmerising confidence and acuity epitomised by Kevin Spacey's calm narration. Spacey is Lester Burnham, a harried Everyman whose midlife awakening is the spine...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
From its first gliding aerial shot of a generic suburban street,American Beautymoves with ... more
a mesmerising confidence and acuity epitomised by Kevin Spacey's calm narration. Spacey is Lester Burnham, a harried Everyman whose midlife awakening is the spine...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Look closer at the most talked about film of the year. A funny, moving and shocking ... more
journey through life in suburban America.Look closer at fortysomething ad man Lester Burnham and his status-seeking wife, Carolyn, as their marriage and lives slowly un...
Advantages: beautiful film, cinematography, great cast (spacey, Annette Benning..) Amazing soundtrack, brilliant storyline, compelling Disadvantages: Quite heavy, not good if you want to watch a light rom-com.
curvy_charlie 20.01.2008 (23.01.2008)
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Review of American Beauty (DVD)
![American Beauty [DVD] [2000]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78526734.jpg "American Beauty [DVD] [2000]")
Aug 10th, 2000
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![American Beauty [DVD] [1999]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/84099822.jpg)
