American Beauty (DVD) > Reviews

Advantages: Kevin Spacey
Disadvantages: It's been done before

AMERICAN BEAUTY With American society constantly experiencing traumatic events such as the Columbine shooting and the OJ Simpson trial, it is a popular theme among filmmakers to analyse likely sources of societal dysfunction such as life in the suburbs and the emasculation of the industrial male. Notable examples recently include The Ice Storm and Happiness. Here first time British director Sam Mendes, better known for his theatre success last ... Read review

Advantages: A simply wonderful film
Disadvantages: None

...what could be any typical american family, the father is having a midlife crisis, the daughter hates her parents, and the mother is so career driiven she is at the point of insanity. The cast including kevin Spacey (who is outstanding) Annette Bening, and the gorgeous Mena Suvari, are all completely believable and spacey has not turned in such a convincing role since the usual suspects. the story turns out to be mainly Spaceys addiction to his teenage ... Read review

Advantages: mad me laugh and made me think
Disadvantages: bit boring in the middle

This film is set around the main character, Lester, and his life. He is in an unhappy marriage and his daughter seems to be going through that "teenage stage". Everything in his life seems bad and then things go down hill big time when he develops a crush on his daughter's best friend. All in all, Lester seems to be having a bit if a mid life crises. Without giving away the whole film, things go steadily down hill for Lester and his family, and never ... Read review

Advantages: Great acting
Disadvantages: none

I am so glad that I decided to go and see this movie! The acting was great, especially Kevin Spacey who made me laugh and cry throughout along with the younger actors who were absolutely superb. The storyline was strong and kept me interested right until the end credits. I must admit my favourite parts of the movie were the scenes with Kevin Spacey and Wes Bentley in the garage, as his farther is watching from the bedroom window. If you've seen the ... Read review

Advantages: None
Disadvantages: Overhyped, boring

This film is extremely disappointing, considering the acclaim that it received. The acting is very good, but not even good acting can cope with a wooden script and empty plot. The roses have almost no relevance at all in the film, but are made into a central part just for the romantic sake of it. The whole film does not run properly, with too many irrelevant points being made into main story lines, making the film tedious and boring. It didn’t deserve ... Read review

Advantages: kevin spacey's acting
Disadvantages: none

SATIRE is best when it has bite. This deserved winner of multiple Golden Globes (and tipped for a clutch of Oscars in 2000), bites deep. It also has class acts in Annette Bening and Kevin Spacey, stuck in another dysfunctional middle class marriage. Space y is at his lugubrious best as Lester Burnham, who feeling smothered by a monotonous job, a henpecking wife and daughter who he hardly knows - spectacularly jacks in his career and embarks on a second ... Read review

Advantages: great script, actors, soundtrack
Disadvantages: I just don't see them!

It's one of rare case whens the movie gets Academy award, and it's worth it. It's really the best movie of 1999! Great script, perfect actors, magnificent soundtrack. It makes you think a lot. It makes you cry and laugh. And when it finishes, you're listening to 'Because' by the Beatles and you can't stand from your seat. You just keep sitting, overwhelmed. This was my reaction to this movie. This is really a MustSea! By the way, one should by ... Read review

Advantages: Script/acting/story
Disadvantages: Some scenes may be disturbing for people to watch

...a story of an average American family who decide its time to make changes in thier lives. From the start, we know that Lester (Spacey) will die in a year, but yet all this is forgotten when we watch the characters grow/decline in stature. Lester smokes pot, blackmails his boss, and fantasises about his daughters friend (Angela). Lesters wife tries to present a sucessful image in life, but fails miserablly to hide her insecure interior. And thier daughter(Janie) ... Read review

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...can get sued for! From one American Beauty to another.... You know you're in the presence of something special when a simple, character-driven movie sticks in your craw and won't let go. American Beauty is one of those movies that the average Joe will leave saying "that was pretty good I guess," and will wake up the next day saying "why can't I forget about that damn movie?" Sometimes, thanks to my severely limited intellectual abilities, I ... Read review

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...you remember the girl from AMERICAN PIE that was in Choir... who plays the oh so cute and beautiful cheerleader that lights up and ignites Kevin Spacey to live again. This is one of the most frightening portraits of a young girl that has completely fooled herself into a psychotic state of self-importance. Her own importance is measured by her desirability to others. If others want to fuck her... well that means she’s beautiful. And of course there ... Read review

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...didn’t know much about this AMERICAN BEAUTY movie. Didn’t know much at all. I had retained the knowledge that it was a Kevin Spacey film, but that was about it. I had written a piece about how you folks could score free tickets to the movie if you lived in one of about 50 towns, and ya know... I’m proud as can be that I pointed those of you that are scoring tickets to this movie, to this movie. You see, this is one of those impossible films to ... Read review

Advantages: Funny
Disadvantages: Weird

This film has some ver strange bits in. But i found it hilariously funny. The film is set very well as from the start you know that the father, Leicester, is going to get killed. But why? How? and by Who? There are lots of turns and humour that some would not like, including many sexual references and many references to masterbation. This adds to the effect and a funny scene is when the wife catches the husband masterbating in bed. I have now watched ... Read review