American Beauty (DVD)

...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 ...
...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 ...

Eddie35 30.03.2004 · Read full review
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Review of American Beauty (DVD)

I'm forced to say that `American Beauty' is deserving (in my opinion) of its IMDB place. This movie was also rewarded, which is a good thing when undeserving movies continue to win each year generally (*cough* A Beautiful Mind *cough*). Story wise it can be summed up easily. There's the Burnham family, who have just moved into a new home. Lester (Kevin Spacey) feels tired and worn down by his job and his power hungry house-retailing wife Carolyn ...
...teenage way, hates her parents and hangs out with her friend Angela (Mena Suvari) and the mysterious boy-next-door, Ricky (Wes Bentley). But it all becomes too much for Lester when he begins to lust after Angela and decides to make some radical changes in his life, in a blackly amusing take on a midlife crisis.` Acting? Well Spacey won an Oscar for his work and he can keep it. He's great here. He imbues Lester with, initially, a browbeaten weariness, ...

phatman 06.09.2002 · Read full review
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Review of American Beauty (DVD)

What a brilliant and compelling story of betrayal, obsession, age, love, drugs, and inner turmoil between families, relationships and one self. This is one of my favourite films, the cast (Kevin Spacey, Annette Benning, Thora Birch, Mena Suvari and many more) the fantastic, realistic and driven storyline of a family who seem to have broken down, a man having a mid life crisis, bored with his everyday life, and a teenager who is insecure and desperate ...
...established, the scenes are beautiful. The cinematography is stunning, the roses reprsenting different themes and motifs in the film, portraying beauty, love, desire. The film is a pleasure to watch, each scene filmed to perfection, you cannot take your eyes off the film for one moment. The story builds to an outstanding climax, you'll want to watch it time and time again, and it will love it everytime just as much! The Soundtrack is outstanding, ...

curvy_charlie 20.01.2008 (23.01.2008) · Read full review
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Review of American Beauty (DVD)

...plays Lester; a middle aged American male, who lives a supposedly rosy life in the suburbs with his all-american wife Carolyn(Bening) and reclusive daughter Jane (Birch). But all of the normality becomes boring to him, and things dont seem to be as perfect as he thought they were before. Is it just a mid-life crisis? After meeting Angela, a friend of Janes at a school basketball game, he becomes completely besotted by her beauty and confidence. He ...
...his brain. Not as seemingly interested in him as he is her, she just enjoys the attention of an older man. Lester begins to change his life-style in a bid to impress the young girl by working out more and smoking recreational drugs. As all of this is going on, Carolyn is indulging in a lustrious affair with her real-estate competitor and his daughter Jane finds that she has a secret admirer with a video camera. The story portrays a dysfunctional ...

shelley1986 13.06.2007 · Read full review
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Review of American Beauty (DVD)

The dry comedy is first class and Kevin Spacey turns in the kind of brilliant performance that we have come to expect of him, but Annette Benning also puts up a fine show. Clever humour, occasionally impressive direction and excellent acting, this one is certainly worth a watch. It is also pretty original, maybe not as completely 'out-there' and masterful as The Matrix or Fight Club, but it should be mentioned as one of the twenty best films of the ...
...it will change your life. It is a cleverly put together tale of two disfunctional families and how no one is who you think they are. If you go in believing the people who left the film in tears, you will be disappointed. If you take it for what it is - an impressive and unusual comedy/drama- you find yourself very entertained. Check it out. ...

arna4784 28.05.2001 · Read full review
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Review of American Beauty (DVD)

This follows a year in the life of 2 dysfunctional suburban families, starting with knowing that the father, Kevin Spacey, will die and ending with him dead. It explores the relationships between all the main protaganists and how in most cases the middle class gloss of suburbia hides dark secrets of drug dealing, sex with minors, wife beating and extramarital affairs. All the actors give excellant performances and the film is excellantly produced ...

brownp1 03.01.2001 · Read full review
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Review of American Beauty (DVD)

...a lot of hype concerning American Beauty, but unlike films such as Blair Witch Project, it answered it with a truly memorable, thought-provocing, brilliant and totally original film. I always look forward to any film with Kevin Spacey in the cast list because, in my opinion, he is the best actor in the world, and I have never seen him in a bad film. American Beauty is 100% original and makes you go away thinking about your existance from a completely ...
...because it will ruin it for you, still leaves question marks in your head about what actually happened (p.s. this is not a criticism at all, it makes the film all the more intriguing.) The story, although not unpredictable, is facinating, and the range of characters is incredible. Everyone in the film acted absolutely superbly, Annette Bening, Thora Birch, Allison Janney and Peter Galagher, but especially Kevin Spacey. His acting was breathtaking. ...

alanbuttle1 03.02.2001 · Read full review
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Review of American Beauty (DVD)

There's nothing I can say about this film that hasn't been said already so instead I'll concentrate on the features of the DVD. One of the most talked about features is the commentary by director Sam Mendes and screenplayer Alan Ball offering some fascinating insights into the film. My one criticism of it would be that Mendes barely lets Ball get a word in, a shame as Ball seems very interesting. There's also a featurette with a few interviews and ...
...The storyboard presentation compares some original storyboards and the final shots, commentated on by Mendes and the cinematographer, Conrad L. Hall and focuses on some of the more technical aspects, particularly lighting. The final feature is 2 trailers, each quite different and showing the film in an alternative way. While admittedly they could have done more with the DVD it offers some great features and is a must for anyone who loved the film. ...

BoyWonder7 29.01.2001 · Read full review
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Review of American Beauty (DVD)

...the end.this film shows an american family warts and all and doesnt fail to deliver.jane lester(thora birch's character) seems to hate her life for real and when her new neighbor moves in she finds someone to share her inner pain despite him bieng a drug dealer and having a manic father and very sick mother. it has a great twist at the end and defintly a great film to watch ...

aazdogg 09.05.2001 · Read full review
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Review of American Beauty (DVD)

...win the popular accolades that American Beauty has basked in. This multi-award winning film directed by Sam Mendes has recently come out on video in the UK and i suggest anyone who missed it in the cinema should catch the opportunity to see it. The film opens on a seeming utopian suburban american family. As we begin to see the cracks in this facade, Mendes's skill begins to come to the fore. His directing weaves the storyline, with a message that ...
...The film benefits immensly from the oscar winning score which really captures the audience and emerces them in the moment. If you see one film this winter, seee the beauty of American Beauty. It will leave you touched and may just open your eyes to new realms of beauty. ...

rmallinson 01.12.2000 · Read full review
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Review of American Beauty (DVD)

When I first heard about this film, I immediately thought of black beauty, that series invloving a black horse. Well, wasn't I wrong, this film has nothing to do with black beauty or any horse for that matter. This film revolves around one sub-urban man's quest through his mid-life crisis. Lester Burnham (played by Kevin Spacey) is married to Carolyn (played by Annette Bening), she is very unhappy with her marriage. She is an estate agent and believes ...
...of her parents, she can't stand the friction between her parents. The plot thickens when Lester decides to make a few changes in his life. But he learns that making changes rocks the boat of life, and comes at a price. This film has won 5 Oscars, including best picture and 6 Baftas including best film. All the actors, especially Kevin Spacey should be recognised and congratulated on their performances. The film is definetly worth watching, it is ...

darrenloud 18.02.2001 · Read full review
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Review of American Beauty (DVD)

This film has been so immoderately praised that it is time, perhaps, for a more sober assessment. And when you get below the hype there is not much here to get excited about. Take the acting. Kevin Spacey does not act particularly well in this film, in fact he hardly acts at all - he walks through the part, looking every bit as smug as he does when interviewed. To suggest that this role merited an Oscar is to lose any sense of what acting is all ...
...hardly a masterpiece. In fact it is full of tedious, shop-worn, caricatures, the most unpleasant of them being the martinet father who turns out to be a repressed homosexual (natch!). Shades here of Lawrence's Prussian Officer. But if a writer has to resort to this kind of easy target then he is really not working hard enough. But then the whole script is just too easy. Does the film end up telling us anything new about a mid-life crisis? Not really. ...

mookielidl 13.02.2001 · Read full review
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Review of American Beauty (DVD)

There's something special about "American Beauty" that's hard to pinpoint. I don't think I've ever seen a film with such a great ensemble of actors - everyone is perfectly cast, from Kevin Spacey's eerily lovable Lester, to Annette Bening's loopy real-estate broker Carolyn, to Thora Birch's hauntingly disenchanted Jane. And the Fitts family...whew. Don't even want to go there. It's one of many films lately dealing with the disparity between appearances ...
...world is refreshing, and the chaotic circumstances that evolve from it are both provocative and entertaining. I think that, along with "Fight Club," "American Beauty" is the best of them all. The beautiful cinematography, outstanding percussion-centered score, precise and evocative *original* screenplay, and above all first-rate acting make this movie stand above all the others. Thinking about the fact that this is Sam Mendes' first film, and Alan ...

jailbreakted 24.01.2001 · Read full review
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Review of American Beauty (DVD)

...just now waking up...' American Beauty tells the story of Lester, played by the legendary Kevin Spacey, who wishes to break free of the norm of 'keeping up appearances', his wife Carolyn Burnham (Annette Bening) is so obsessed with. Annette represents the disillusioned being, who has lost sight of what he/she wants in life and believes that happiness is represented by material things and how 'in order to be successful, one must project an image of ...
...profound, as he decides to follow his hearts ambitions, to look young and feel excited, is highly comical. He continually lusts over his daughter Jane's (Thora Birch) friend Angela (Mena Suvari), as she represents his personified goal of youth and being spontaneous. Lester in his outrageous quest for happiness produces a few timeless one-liners, not least the opening scene: 'Look at me, jerking off in the shower... This will be the high point of ...

bobinder 02.09.2009 · Read full review
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Review of American Beauty (DVD)

Very well made piece of cinema. Kevin spacey plays a man in a midlife crisis to perfection. This is very thought provoking film made in a very artistic manner. Brilliant plot twist at the end. A haunting movie. ...

icarus_falls69 28.11.2007
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Review of American Beauty (DVD)