American Beauty (1999)

Beautiful, moving film.

I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

A man who doesn't get along with his family is attracted by his daughter's fried and he feels as if he revived from death. And finally he finds a beauty. Everyone has agonies.

How good is American Beauty? Well, it depends on how emotionally you enjoy being drained. Also, I feel this movie is massively overrated because the whole disjointed dysfunctional family aspect is way overplayed. I could not take Spacey seriously as a character- why did he start smoking pot and working out, suddenly? Why is the wife unhappy and if they are unhappy than why not get a divorce? Despite 1999 being one of the best year for American Cinema I can't believe this one won all the awards and accolades. Regardless, you can judge for yourself but in my opinion American Beauty has not aged well at all.

'American Beauty (2000)' is an odd blend of comedy and drama which come together to successfully compliment each other and make the whole experience more impactful. It's film which isn't afraid to get dark and cynical but which also has a real optimistic heart and positive outlook at its core. It's an experience that will stay with you long after the credits roll. The fantastic screenplay mixes with the amazing acting to create a seamless sort of 'imagined realism' that allows for a true cinematic reflection of real life. The haunting ending is both truly tragic and strangely happy all at once. Oddly, the juxtaposition of these elements works brilliantly, allowing the final moments to be almost truly transcendent. 8/10

It's always great to see a movie that won none other than Best Picture and I think this movie easily deserved it! This movie tells the story of a character played by Kevin Spacey named Lester who falls in love with a friend of his daughter's named Angela. There's an important subplot about a guy named Ricky next door who falls in love with the daughter. He is shown filming everything because he wants to see the beauty in the world. It's best represented when he has a video showing something as simple as a plastic bag drifting in the wind. Ricky's father, Colonel Fitts is an extreme homophobe.For awhile, it seems like they're avoiding the whole plot about Angela and Lester. What's so great is that they really only make it important at the very end. What is it with Kevin Spacey movies and having the last part of them be the best and most important part? It seems as though Lester is going to sleep with Angela, but thank God he realizes that's immoral! What's great is seeing how Angela makes him decide to change his life and do whatever he wants. I'm glad I understand some pop culture references to this.The movie ends with Lester being shot. His wife was seen with a handgun in a previous scene, so obviously she did it. It then turns out it was Colonel Fitts who earlier was actually revealed to be gay himself as he almost kissed Lester. Supposedly, he killed him to cover up the fact that was gay himself. The part where Fitts thinks his son his gay is probably the best and most intense part of the movie! The music is amazing and I love how it ends by saying you can still see beauty in everything. ****