American Beauty

 

Title	-	American Beauty
My Admission	-	$7.00
One Line Review	-	'Fuckin' Trippy'

 

Review -  This is nothing new.  You've seen this before.  On the Silver Screen.  Or in your neighbor hood.  Maybe your parents or you brother's perfect life.  Maybe the young girl down the street. Maybe your boss.  Maybe your ex.  Maybe the boy next door.  Maybe you're living it right now.  Appearances are all a-wash.  Wipe away the gloss and shine.  Strip down the red paint.  Blow the dust from the windowpane and take a look inside. What do you see? You don't know? Here, take another look but this time...

Look closer.

Kevin Spacey is Lester Burnham, a 42-year-old columnist for an advertising magazine.  He lives in a seemingly nice neighborhood. With a seemingly nice wife and daughter. Look closer.

Annette Bening is Carolyn Burnham, a Real Estate owner who's in stiff competition with the 'King of Real Estate'.  Well manicured and glitzy, a real social butterfly.  She's collected and controlled, a woman meant to succeed.

Look closer.

Chris Cooper is Colonel Fitts, a retired Marine Colonel with a quiet family.

Look closer.

Thora Birch is Jana Burnham, a very ordinary young girl with a typical adolescent view. Look closer.

Mena Suvari is Angela, Jana's best friend.  An exceptionally beautiful "bad” girl who's going to be a model (in more ways than one).

Look closer.

Wes Bentley is Ricky Fitts, the quiet and very direct son of Colonel Fitts.  With a mini-cam in hand he seems set to record all the moments of life.  To what end?

Look closer.

American Beauty is the directorial film debut from Sam Mendes and screenwriter Alan Ball.   Not at all a quiet film, American Beauty delivers a very direct and unflinching view of conflict and its rewards.

This is not a depressing film.  It’s a live wire.

The talk is all about OSCAR.
This is probably the best-reviewed film in recent months if not all year.  The buzz is not lacking in truth.  This film is well written, directed, and the actors are just bitchin'.  Probably not a good idea for a date movie but devilishly fun.

-m-