Gamer, writer, and a good guy. Medical aide with a background in many areas.
Gamer, writer, and a good guy. Medical aide with a background in many areas.
Member since:30.03.2004
Reviews:10
Wow, I was really expecting to see great things from this film when I picked it up at the rental store,after all it won 5 Academy Awards including best picture, but I was not only insulted, revolted, and sick by the film, but when I heard Steven Spielberg liked it, I knew Steven Spielberg was a sick man. LOL and no that is not a complement.
American Beauty is so offensive that before getting into the detail of the ugliness of the film itself, I'll present some of the offensive stereotypes, language and glamorization of teenage pornography that the film was awarded for:
"How come all these gays always have to rub it in your face" says Colonel Robert Fitts of the Marine Corps.
"I am very,very dirty", says Angela (Mena Suvari) whose lying in a bathtub, a friend of Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey)
daughter that is Lester Burnhma's fantasy of the 16 yr cheerleader whom he wants to have sex.
American Beauty is not beautiful as it's name will lead you to believe, the movie is about dysfunctional characters ,and what's going on in their sick twisted minds.
The main character is Lester Burnhan (Kevin Spaceyi)who is a weak 40yr old man who is works for an advertising agency, He is also one of the most sick characters in the film. There is really no good way to defend this guy although I've seen people try
Jane Burnham (Thora Birch) is his daughter, she is an ugly spoiled brat who doesn't appreciate the good life she is getting from her mother, Carolyn Burnham played by Annette Bening. Both Birch and Bening are good in this film.
Carolyn Burnham is a cocky, self-absorbed real estate saleswoman. She tries to come as strong, but in reality she is very vulnerable, which is revealed when she starts crying after she can't make a sale.
She hates Buddy Kane (Peter Gallagher)because he sells more houses than her, but in the end, she shows how weak she is by telling him how much in awe she is of him, instead of working harder and proving to herself than she can be a great real estate woman.
However, despite Carolyn's shortcomings, she is the only real normal character in the film, next to Buddy Kane,and she is a good mother and provider.
Jane is a cheerleader at her school, and so she has cheerleader friends like Angela. Angela (Mena Suvari) plays a conceded airhead who has sex with men because she wants to be a model. I kid you not, in one scene , she describes how a well known photographer shows her his penis and then how proceeds to have sex with him because he work for Elle a famous modeling magazine. One of her friends calls her a prostitute for doing this , which is pretty accurate, since it's obvious Angela, will do anything, and I mean anything to get to the top.
Anyway Lester's fascination with Angela reveals a sort of child pornographic fantasy that is very disturbing. In fact, that's one reason why other critics hated the film. They felt the film was glamorizing this kind of thinking by older sick men who wish to molest young girl, which is a valid argument. In that regard Spacey gives a harrowing performance like always as in all his films, he drives the point home that this guy is one big screwup and a sicko.
There's more, Angela as a slut though in that she is, starts to tease Jane's dad, Lester, which only fuels his unhealthy fantasy with her. There are many disturbing characters in "American Beauty" in fact, the name shouldn't be called "American Beauty" because all the characters on the inside are really quite ugly.
I will say that the performances in the movie are good, each character as mentally unstable and crazy as they are a good depiction of a dysfunctional American family. I shudder to think to think how many families are like this and watching the news with family related murders, there's quite a lot.
Props goes to Sam Mendes, Spacey, Bening and the rest for truly giving us quite a movie to remember, good or bad. In this case, the ugly aspects of the characters are obvious there to show the true depiction of an American societal breakdown of morals and respect.
In that regard I recommend it, it's quite excellent.
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
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]")
Mar 30th, 2004
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