American Beauty (DVD)

...Lester is slave to the American Dream’s by-product rigid routine lifestyle and is shackled in a passionless marriage with a cheating wife… Until today; Lester’s awakening is about to begin. “I feel like I've been in a coma for the past twenty years. And I'm just now waking up.” Suffering a severe mid-life-crisis, Lester’s awakening into reality is catalyzed by his daughter Jane’s self-loving, egomaniac, cheerleader “friend” Angela Hayes (Mena Suvari) ...
...his own take on the American dream in Blue Velvet) who is known for his eccentricities and pretentiousness. Spacey’s performance was fantastic, thus resulting in him grabbing the gold’un (not a euphemism for masturbation) at the Ac awards. His straight-faced comedy had me in kinks, while he was able to be empathized with concurrently - playing a man of tragedy too. The juxtaposition of comedy and tragedy is outstanding; both balanced so the film ...

j_mcb 28.05.2004 (29.05.2004) · Read full review
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Review of American Beauty (DVD)

AMERICAN BEAUTY Certificate; 18 (Sexuality, language, violence and drugs) Duration; 122 minutes. Direction; Sam Mendes. Cast; Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening, Thora Birch, Wes Bentley, Mena Suvari, Chris Cooper, Peter Gallagher, Allison Janney, Scott Bakula. The ‘American Beauty’ of the title refers to the beauty of the American dream. Living in a beautiful home surrounded by beautiful gardens with a beautiful white picket fence in ...
...lift the lid on the American dream and delve deeper to find out what goes on beyond those front doors. The film begins with an aerial shot of a typical American neighbourhood, slowly drifting from street to street like a leaf being guided by the wind. Accompanying this is a narration by Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey); “I’m 42 years old and even though I don’t know it, in less than a year, I’ll be dead” These words from ...

WormThatTurned 21.10.2004 · Read full review
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Review of American Beauty (DVD)

Released in 1999, Sam Mendes’ American Beauty is one of my favourite films, and achieved the rare double of receiving both critical and commercial acclaim. A big screen debut for both director Mendes and writer Alan Ball, it was nominated for eight Oscars, and won five. It’s a film of some depth, taking an everyday suburban existence and examining its appearances and relationships in terms of (amongst other things) personal fulfilment, family ties, ...
...the film was ‘look closer’ – and guided by Mendes’ skilled direction, you do. Lester and Carolyn Burnham (Kevin Spacey and Annette Bening) are a typical middle class suburban couple: nice house, decent jobs and a teenage daughter Jane (Thora Birch) in high school. They get on well with the neighbours, drive nice cars and gather each night for a family dinner with no TV. Carolyn is an ambitious, driven and success-hungry realtor, while Lester works ...

allmodcons 17.08.2007 · Read full review
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Review of American Beauty (DVD)

...on the academy award winning American Beauty, starring Kevin Spacey. Now im actually a really big Spacey fan, some of his work including The Usual Suspects and K PAX have been some of his best work. He has the knack of just making you admire what ever character he plays, he has a sort of presence that makes you feel this film is going to be powerful. He has a humorous side, he can play a dark side you name it, I even liked his recent portrayal of ...
...Jane, who is the typical American teenager. The family live what is pretty much a normal life, the wife wanting to move up in the real estate world, a dad who just gets on with his life and a teenage daughter who's really just embarrassed about her parents. All of a sudden, one magical and gifted day Jane brings home a friend named Angela Hayes, who instantly attracts the attention of Lester. He can't seem to lay his eyes off her; Angela is simply ...

jaygami1986 08.02.2008 · Read full review
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Review of American Beauty (DVD)

...is an amazing depiction of American life and the generation gap and despair at the passing of life, but at the same time a reassuring promise that the maturity of age has its own benefits. So when your paunch is sagging, and your heart sags more heavily, just think of this masterpiece and the startling performance and renaissance of Kevin Spacey. When it takes you all night to do what you used to do all night.... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ...
...of this intriguing portrait of American life, but it's all I'm going to give you because it would only spoil the pleasure for you, and would come over poorly on the printed (or HTML) page. You really need to see the tale unfold to appreciate it. Spacey and Bening are wonderful in this film, particularly Bening, who plays a materialistic, shallow, domineering moneygrabber. Being has said: "Carolyn really doesn’t have any insight into what Lester’s ...

dave27 12.08.2001 · Read full review
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Review of American Beauty (DVD)

...first shot of the movie American Beauty, is very placid and looking harmless. The image is a very desirable one for any town. But below this camouflage of living in decency, one can feel the tense palpable heart throbs, a fearfulness and an imbalance. It is said that beauty is skin deep, but American Beauty nudges deep through to the marrow of American society and explores its spirit. Sam Mendes, the debutant director, very fresh from his experience ...
...There enters the self declared American Beauty Angela Hayes (Mena Suvari) who is Jane’s best friend. She advocates her sermon, “there is nothing worse in life than being ordinary”. Lester spots her in a basket ball game an indulges in a series of very beautifully filmed fantasies that drive him lustfully crazy, and he hatches plans to possess her. To impress the Lolita of his fantasies he quits his job, starts lifting weights, jogs ...

skmm 14.03.2001 · Read full review
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Review of American Beauty (DVD)

...Region 2 DVD version of American Beauty since late June, when I got it as a birthday present from my sister. After having had a disappointing viewing of the DVD of Peter’s Friends, which whilst being a great film, even if tinged with sadness and the characters are about as incompatible with one another as they come, I moved on to American Beauty. And before I realised I had watched several times in a period of days. I do not intend to mention that ...
...the film starts with in American Suburbia, with whitewashed fences and a rose garden part of the Burnham house. Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey) is a middle aged man, confined to the humdrum meniality of middle management, with little prospect of furthering his career. His wife, Carolyn (Annette Bening), is clearly wearing the trousers in a marriage that looks to have run its course, and Lester is leading a sterile existence, as his daughter struggles ...

Morgenhund 04.11.2002 · Read full review
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Review of American Beauty (DVD)

American Beauty… A film portraying the sad misfortunes of a typical American family.. A film of strong sometimes too true to life undercurrents, yet portrayed to the viewer as an almost zany, dry humoured ironic view of life as we know it. Kevin Spacey portrays Leicester Burnham, a sad pathetic example of a man, who now at 42, suddenly realises his life is in a shambles and the mid life crisis starts to affect his reasoning. The basis of ...
...down to one thing, the loss of sexual relationships between Leicester and his wife. As I said he is a sad, pathetic attempt at a man, but you immediately warm to him somehow and feel for him in his need to once again find his niche in society, however he is superb in being able to play the underdog with his almost believable thoughts and musings and these are portrayed in a comical, light-hearted manner, which makes it even more enjoying. Everything ...

broksababe 12.04.2001 · Read full review
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Review of American Beauty (DVD)

American Beauty is a modern-day classic film, showing how restraining and boring suburban life in America can be, and how one man shows us how he breaks free. Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey) is stuck in a boring job under a boss he hates, has taken to masturbating in the shower because his wife, Carolyn (Annette Bening), isn't sexually relieving him, and he finds himself hated by his daughter. He becomes with his stale, repetitive existence. Lester ...
...role of his career in American Beauty. His measured, dull tones work perfectly with the character of Lester, and Spacey is the best man that could have been cast. There are also good performances from Annette Bening and Chris Cooper (as the colonel), but a stand-out performance comes from Wes Bentley as the perfect Ricky. The directing from Sam Mendes was perfect, the meanings were delivered very well. For anyone wanting to watch a deep film with ...

midpikyrozziy 24.04.2008 · Read full review
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Review of American Beauty (DVD)

American Beauty is not what expected. It goes way beyond what I’d hoped for from one of the most hyped movies of the last few years. I’d imagined it to be a standard tale of mid life crisis, with a man falling for his daughters beautiful friend. That does happen, kind of, but it’s an itsy bitsy tiny part of the movie. Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey) is our hero, and our anti hero, and the character that makes us squirm uncomfortably in our seats as ...
...rounded portrayal of teenagers, and American Beauty does spectacularly well in avoiding the standard stereotypes and presenting us with teenage characters who are complex and believable. Lester has new neighbours, including Ricky Fitts, the local drug dealer with a curious obsession with Lesters’ daughter. His father is a former Marine, who throughout the film becomes more interesting, yet more disturbing with every scene. Rickys’ mother doesn’t ...

gollygumdrops 12.10.2001 · Read full review
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Review of American Beauty (DVD)

...that could be in any American suburb, and with Kevin Spacey narrating in a calm and confident manner. Kevin Spacey (Usual Suspects, Seven, LA Confidential) is Lester Burnham, he is a man with a nagging wife (Annette Bening, Grifters, Bugsy), a sullen, contemptuous teenage daughter (Thora Birch, Hocus Pocus, Patriot Games) and a boring job. This family’s life is thrown into turmoil by Lester’s midlife crisis and fascination with his daughter’s ...
...this DVD. Much of American Beauty's power comes from the careful balance between Thomas Newman's score and the dialogue, and this comes across well on the DVD. There is excellent dynamic range and solid imaging, overall this is a very well-balanced mix. DVD EXTRAS There is a screen-specific audio commentary with Director Sam Mendes and Screenwriter Alan Ball is interesting to listen to, however, it would have been interesting if Alan Ball had ...

kingsanj 01.05.2001 (04.05.2001) · Read full review
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Review of American Beauty (DVD)

...success (for me anyway) was American beauty. With its realistic portrayal of today's society and its stark portrayal of a shattered family the movie move me in many ways. Kevin Spacey plays Lester Burnham; he is a successful family man who suddenly begins to lose his sense of stability as he realizes how stagnant and repetitive his life has become. With a voice-over technique we immediately find out that this is the last day of his ...
...even start. The story then proceeds in flashback; Lester seems to experience a mid life crisis as he regresses back into young adulthood, experimenting with pot, lifting waits, being a general bum and becoming infatuated with his daughters 16 year old friend. He portrays typical elements of mid life crisis as he buys a sports car, quits his job and often does nothing. Angela (Mena Suvari) is a beautiful teenager whose sexuality is beginning to ...

Simoncook1 11.09.2001 (13.09.2001) · Read full review
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Review of American Beauty (DVD)

...small suburban town in America, American Beauty is about the lives of what appear to be normal and ordinary people from the outside except are quite far from that in reality. The story focuses around Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey) and his wife Carolyn Burnham (Annette Bening) Lester Burnham superbly played by Spacey begins his “mid-life crisis” as he slowly descends into a life of soft drugs, fast cars and a taste for younger women though ...
...The story to American Beauty is full of twists and turns and is bound to keep you on the edge of your seat. Though American Beauty could have been just any standard Hollywood flick if it wasn’t for the excellent direction of Sam Mendes. Mendes directs American Beauty in a unique style that makes this film so unlike any other Hollywood movie. It seems refreshing to see a film come out of Hollywood except be so unlike Hollywood. So how is this ...

Disillusioned 29.07.2001 (07.12.2001) · Read full review
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Review of American Beauty (DVD)

Winner of 5 Oscars and 6 Baftas this movie is one which nonetheless seems to have people pretty much divided over how they feel about it. In all honesty, there isn't that much which actually goes on here in terms of plot and action, but it is the characterisation, the interplay between the characters and the delightful script and observations which carry it through ad make it well worthy of these awards in my opinion. It focuses on a family, in ...
...Kevin Spacey. He is in the middle of mid-life crisis, his wife Annette Benning is a workaholic, frigid towards him and having an affair, his daughter respects no one and her friend is one hell of a flirt and Spacey has fallen for her. I think thats about it in a nutshell. Sounds as boring as hell, but trust me, it most certainly isnt. The scripting here is simply superb. The observations of family life and relationships is brilliant and the characterisations ...

WhiteWolf 27.09.2001 · Read full review
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Review of American Beauty (DVD)

American Beauty* won five Oscars, including best film, and had quite a reputation, yet it was only last night I first saw it at a friend’s birthday, and it wasn’t at all what I expected. The film was nothing like I imagined and, to be honest, seemed slightly disappointing given all the hype, but I’ll come to that later. *** Plot (no spoilers) *** Lester Burnham is stuck in a midlife rut. He’s reduced to masturbating in the ...
...we had last night). American Beauty is a technically excellent film, and I’d definitely recommend seeing it if you haven’t already (subject to what I just said about the occasion it’s suitable for). Personally though, I didn’t enjoy it as much as it’s reputation suggested, so I’m only giving it 3* *Note: this is, of course, the 1999 film. There was an American Beauty in 1927 directed by Richard Wallace (known ...

a-true-ben 04.04.2002 · Read full review
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Review of American Beauty (DVD)