I have gained the travel bug in the last few years and have had the chance to discover many new and ...
I have gained the travel bug in the last few years and have had the chance to discover many new and wonderfull places. Some I have already written about and the others no doubt I will get round to them at some point.
I enjoy many forms of music and...
Member since:03.08.2000
Reviews:86
Members who trust:8
America Beauty tells the story of your typical American family. Mom & dad only sleep together now, don’t like each other, dad is having a mid life crisis, mom is having an affair, daughter thinks dad is a creep for fancying her friends and mom is a hypocrite.
Familiar? Yes, it was a bit for me as well. Overall this is not a bad film but somehow is less than the sum of its parts. Kevin Spacey again shows why he is one of the best actors currently around with a underplayed performance that makes us give a little cheer every time he wins a victory against his wife or the world at large. Annette Benning plays the ice maiden wife well and a good supporting cast helps. But there is for me only one scene that stands out – Asparagus anyone?
Somehow though, it just never quite fits together for me and the 2 hour running time feels like the full 2 hours. Given the many and colourful recommendations I had to see this film, it doesn’t live up to the hype. The film has too many embarrassed smile moments. Situations that should have been either laugh out loud funny or truly dark to make it worthwhile. It really represents another good idea thought of but never truly grasped and followed through to its fullness. Even the surprise ending whodunnit I got first time ( which is rare for me ) wasn’t that much of a surprise.
One of the true tests of how gripping or interesting a movie is the watch test. If you don’t notice the time through a movie, its been good. If you look at a watch to see how much longer to go, its in trouble. This was a 3 look movie.
I wouldn’t mind watching it again on television if it was on but then I wouldn’t rush home to make sure I caught it or set the video either. More of a girl next door than a beauty.
The extras on the DVD are good with choice of subtitle languages, cinema trailers, a making of documentary and a commentary from the writer and director. Sometimes, these commentaries can be more interesting than the film itself with little insights how actors were chosen, shots changed and so on, this is one of those examples.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Drama - Director: Chazz Palminteri - Original Language: English - Classification: Parental Guidance - Starring: Susan Sarandon, Penelope Cruz, Paul Walker, Alan Arkin, Marcus Thomas, Donna Hanover, Robin Williams
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: 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: 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
I couldn't figure out the hype behind this movie... I was beginning to think I was strange - everyone else seemed to love it!
thedeadparrot 05.04.2001 00:40
I agree with you about rating a movie on how many times you look at your watch. However, it's a lot easier (for me at least) to not look when I'm at the cinema than it is at home. Good op.
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![American Beauty [DVD] [2000]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78526734.jpg "American Beauty [DVD] [2000]")
Apr 5th, 2001
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