"My name is Lester Burnham. This is my neighborhood; this is my street; this is my life. I am 42 years old; in less than a year I will be dead. Of course, I don't know that yet, and in a way, I am dead already."
"American Beauty" is placed in an indefinite suburb somewhere in America (there are indications that it is Chicago), where a seemingly harmonious and quite ordinary family is going through the turbulence caused by the middle age crisis of both parents, as well as the puberty of their teenage daughter.
A patriarchal family, ruled by a conservative father, a military man, moves next door to them. While the daughter of our antihero Lester starts a relationship with the neighbor's weird son, and his wife has an affair at work, he, not so secretly, obsessively falls for his daughter's girlfriend.
This black humor drama is only seemingly extreme and eccentric, while in fact, it shows quite realistically what many of us go through at various moments in our lives. Admittedly, most only in their heads, and those who dare to take drastic steps usually hide it better. But the fact that most of us would never admit such thoughts and actions does not prevent, but perhaps only makes it easier for us to better connect with the characters and feel their drama more deeply.
A strong, well-written story needs actors capable of bringing it to life before our eyes. "American Beauty" did not fail in that field either. The excellent character study on paper makes the job much easier, but you can always rely on Kevin Spacey for a really impressive role. A man who somehow manages to be at the same time a nerd and a macho, slimy and sexy, a villain and a victim. Sexual and emotional frustration and the middle age crisis are by no means an excuse for Lester's actions, and yet, Spacey awakens sympathy and compassion in the viewer, rather than repulsion and disgust.
Annette Bening skillfully keeps pace with Spacey in the role of a frustrated woman, trapped in a long-extinguished marriage. A woman who, with the last twitches of common sense, tries to balance between a family in disarray and a career that she can never raise to a level that would satisfy her.
There is also Thora Birch, an unpopular teen, escaping from the collapse of her family home in a relationship with the eccentric Wes Bentley, as well as the insecure Mena Suvari, who is hiding under the mask of a confident and popular cheerleader. Her transformation from "Lolita" that seduces Lester to one of the most impressive scenes in the film, where she is half-naked, trembling under Spacey, does not deserve to remain unmentioned. Although her character is secondary to the others I mentioned and only serves as a support for Spacey's, Mena's performance is unfairly underrated. And last but not least, Chris Cooper who convincingly played a homophobic colonel and stole every scene in which he appears.
For me, the two most striking things in this film are the use of red and the unusual disturbing sounds that accompany Lester's fantasies, in contrast to the mainstream rock music that fills the rest of the movie. And of course, the ending is a bit over-the-top, but it perfectly rounds off the story and adds to its strength.
The film won five Oscars for best picture, directing, screenplay, cinematography, and Spacey's performance, and was also nominated for editing, music, and leading female role. Each well deserved.
10/10.
"American Beauty" is placed in an indefinite suburb somewhere in America (there are indications that it is Chicago), where a seemingly harmonious and quite ordinary family is going through the turbulence caused by the middle age crisis of both parents, as well as the puberty of their teenage daughter.
A patriarchal family, ruled by a conservative father, a military man, moves next door to them. While the daughter of our antihero Lester starts a relationship with the neighbor's weird son, and his wife has an affair at work, he, not so secretly, obsessively falls for his daughter's girlfriend.
This black humor drama is only seemingly extreme and eccentric, while in fact, it shows quite realistically what many of us go through at various moments in our lives. Admittedly, most only in their heads, and those who dare to take drastic steps usually hide it better. But the fact that most of us would never admit such thoughts and actions does not prevent, but perhaps only makes it easier for us to better connect with the characters and feel their drama more deeply.
A strong, well-written story needs actors capable of bringing it to life before our eyes. "American Beauty" did not fail in that field either. The excellent character study on paper makes the job much easier, but you can always rely on Kevin Spacey for a really impressive role. A man who somehow manages to be at the same time a nerd and a macho, slimy and sexy, a villain and a victim. Sexual and emotional frustration and the middle age crisis are by no means an excuse for Lester's actions, and yet, Spacey awakens sympathy and compassion in the viewer, rather than repulsion and disgust.
Annette Bening skillfully keeps pace with Spacey in the role of a frustrated woman, trapped in a long-extinguished marriage. A woman who, with the last twitches of common sense, tries to balance between a family in disarray and a career that she can never raise to a level that would satisfy her.
There is also Thora Birch, an unpopular teen, escaping from the collapse of her family home in a relationship with the eccentric Wes Bentley, as well as the insecure Mena Suvari, who is hiding under the mask of a confident and popular cheerleader. Her transformation from "Lolita" that seduces Lester to one of the most impressive scenes in the film, where she is half-naked, trembling under Spacey, does not deserve to remain unmentioned. Although her character is secondary to the others I mentioned and only serves as a support for Spacey's, Mena's performance is unfairly underrated. And last but not least, Chris Cooper who convincingly played a homophobic colonel and stole every scene in which he appears.
For me, the two most striking things in this film are the use of red and the unusual disturbing sounds that accompany Lester's fantasies, in contrast to the mainstream rock music that fills the rest of the movie. And of course, the ending is a bit over-the-top, but it perfectly rounds off the story and adds to its strength.
The film won five Oscars for best picture, directing, screenplay, cinematography, and Spacey's performance, and was also nominated for editing, music, and leading female role. Each well deserved.
10/10.