Amazingly, this was british director Sam Mendes' first hollywood film. And what a debut. Beginner's luck? It's the most moving and incredible film i've ever seen. Set in suburbian america in the present day, it follows the lives of a series of characters as they go through huge changes in their lives. A very difficult plot to describe, it basically centers around Lester Burnham (the amazing Kevin Spacey) and his affections for his teenage daughter's friend, Angela (Mena Suvari). The beauty of the film is that every character is so well developed you feel an amazing level of sympathy and empathy for each one. Trapped in prisons of their own creation, they all begin to break out in very different ways. Lester adopts an attitude quite apart from his usual doormat persona, and begins smoking drugs and working out in his garage. There are some amazingly funny bits that i won't spoil, but on the whole this film is moving and though provoking. I was still reeling 3 days after seeing it at the cinema. Add to the amazing plot, brilliant dialouge and performances the presence of a totally beautiful and relevant soundtrack and it becomes a modern masterpiece. The DVD version adds a few documentaries, but the main benefit has to be the director's commentary. Every shot and every scene is described in detail by Sam Mendes, and script writer Alan Ball. Without spoiling too much, an example of the brilliance is early on when Mendes describes that the first few shots of Lester are designed to represent prison cells to indicate his trapped state; shadows cast by window frames over him sleeping, window panes, the railings of the white picket fence, the cubicle at work, the columns of text on his computer monitor. Incredible. There are so many beautiful little touches like that that you'll watch the film 3 times in a row, without commentary, with it on, then all over again normally to catch the bits you missed! The film is not to be missed, i can't describe how good it is, if you haven't seen it, you owe it to yourself to watch it soon.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
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
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
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...
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...
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...
Marking the feature film directorial debut of award-winning theatre director Sam Mendes ... more
this funny moving and shocking journey through life in suburban America follows the trials and tribulations of Lester (Kevin Spacey) and Carolyn (Annette Bening) ...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
![American Beauty [DVD] [2000]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78526734.jpg "American Beauty [DVD] [2000]")
May 12th, 2001
helpful by (100%):
