American Beauty (DVD) > Reviews

Advantages: The wonderful Kevin Spacey and Annette Bening
Disadvantages: None

...is a film about the american way of life "living in the beautiful house and having a beautiful wife and kids. The film is set in suburban America and is one of the wittiest, moving, sad and funny films I have ever seen. The central characters of the movie are Lester Burnham (played by the brilliant Kevin Spacey), his wife Carolyn Burnham (played by Annette Bening), and daughter Jane Burnham (Thora Birch). The family are all embroiled in their own ... Read review

Advantages: Intriguing story line
Disadvantages: none

American Beauty is an excellent film! The story line is intense and keeps you hangin off the edge of your seat!! I thought the acting in it was also of a very high standard and especially Kevin Spacey who played a very different part to what he usually plays and plays it very well. I especially liked the boy who played the next door neighbour because he came across as a bit strange, but he was just intrigued by the young girl. However I don't think ... Read review

Advantages: Great acting performances all round
Disadvantages: None

...one but with different characters. American Beauty is different, in a vewy good way. The plot follows a man who lives the 'American Dream' lifestyle; doting wife, darling daughter, two cars and a nice house in the suburbs. Sounds nice, no? Well, not really. Thing is, he's bored of living in the suburbs, his wife is a control freak who takes her mantra a little too seriously, and her daughter is a moody bint with a bimbo best friend (who ... Read review

Advantages: A film that makes you laugh *and* think at the same time
Disadvantages: You may not like the fact that it's based around a well-worn cliche

Sam Mendes's debut film follows that familiar topic of examining a 'normal' family that hits a crisis. Kevin Spacey plays a middle aged dad who see's his daughter's best friend as the all-American beauty and becomes infatuated with her. His wife (Annette Bening) also has an affair and their teenage daughter is firmly enacting the hollywood teenage-daughter-rebeling routine. So, we're all agreed that this is a film that's been done to death before ... Read review

Advantages: comfortable chairs in the cinema
Disadvantages: boring, too long, predictable

Having heard all of the hype about this film and how fantastic it was, I finally gave into the pressure and went to the Showcase at Birstall, Leed, to see it. After half an hour which felt like an eternity, I knew that I'd made a mistake and I wished I could leave. I was with 4 other people so I had to stay, and part way through the film I must have nodded off. The chairs in the Showcase are very comfortable. I have never fallen asleep in a ... Read review

Advantages: very intelligent and original
Disadvantages: not applicable

...cliches of America. A typical American school with the most beautiful and popular girl- a neat blonde who, for sure, is a football team cheer-leader. The other one- invisible and ugly, completely unpopular, but «smart». Business of real estate with great balls. Problem of a «little fish in a big pond». Masturbation jokes. The homophoby which is so much discussed. A drug dealer. Lots and lots of examples. This is America. With all this, we see ... Read review

This film is an all time great, with kevin spacey on top form. If you've not seen this already then your missing out

Advantages: chicks get jugs out
Disadvantages: kevin doesnt do it

American beauty, a film which won many Oscars as I believe, and has a catch piano track playing through, which jakata sampled and used in the dance track American dream. A great film although it is not as good as everyone makes it out to be, its fabulously close to real life, well, someone’s life at least, Kevin spacey is great, but he would have done it with the kid in real life, the only reason he didn’t in the film is because of the ... Read review

Advantages: Very intelligent observational comedy.
Disadvantages: May be a little too dark for some.

...extremely disturbing analysis of the American dream gone horrible wrong. In some places it is incredibly funny. The cast generally superb and I can only assume that the inclusion of Peter Gallagher with a small role is a deliberate homage to this drawing distinct comparisons to another of his films, Sex Lies and Videotape. It is almost essential that this movie is watched more than once otherwise there is serious risk of missing the point. After ... Read review

Advantages: Good storyline.
Disadvantages: have to be the right mood to get all that it has to offer.

This film is a must see for everyone and anyone. You have to choose the people you watch it with carefully though as a room full of mates is a no no. The film needs to be watched carefully as all movements and dialogue are important. It is a deep film that is thought provoking and humorous. It is about a Middle aged man who is married with one daughter. Everyday he gets up goes to work, comes home eats a perfectly balanced meal whilst listening ... Read review

Advantages: Funny at times
Disadvantages: Can be confusing

I recently got American Beauty on video and i hadnt heard of it much before, im so glad my mam bought me this as its a great film and in some parts is very funny. At first i thought oh this is going to be so exciting, not! But i thought i might as well just see what its about and im pleased i did now, although i got a little bit confused near the end but after watching it a couple of times i realised what it was about. i would recommend this to anyone ... Read review

Advantages: Excellent cast and story
Disadvantages: a bit depressing

I went to the cinema expecting this to be another boring comedy...however, I was pleasantly surprised at what an interesting and thought-provoking drama it actually is. "American Beauty" is not the laugh-out-loud comedy or the sad-to-the-bone drama you may expect...like I thought it was going to be. It is a very thoughtful and artsy movie that combines many elements to create a rather unique and personal movie experience. Blending comedy, drama, social ... Read review