Review of American Beauty (1999) by Johnathon W — 28 Sep 2018
Entertaining drama about suburban America that sadly is dated due to modern consequences beyond the film's. The cast is superb, with everyone giving career best performances, notably the leads of Spacey (this film does remind you how brilliant of an actor he is) and Benning.
Behind the camera, Sam Mendes makes a remarkable directorial debut, balancing the drama and humor perfectly in examination of what really makes one happy. While a dark film, it's also a celebration of life and what really makes things beautiful.
Sadly, the recent sexual assault allegations put a darker light on his character's quest to bed his daughter's high school friend, Angela (a then stunning Menu Suvari). While risqué then and though the resolution is surprising, it makes the film a bit unsettling to watch now.
A pity, since despite Spacey, the cast and crew give some of their best work and is still worth remembering as one of the better films of the 1990's.
This review of American Beauty (1999) was written by Johnathon W on 28 Sep 2018.
American Beauty has generally received very positive reviews.
Was this review helpful?
