Review of American Beauty (1999) by Titan R — 15 Nov 2015

A poignant, entertaining drama focusing on existentialism, a mid life crisis and the flawed ideal of the American dream. Equal parts heart-wrenching, thought-provoking and surprisingly humorous, American Beauty is a beautifully written and sharply directed masterpiece.

Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening, Thora Birch, Wes Bentley, Peter Gallagher and Mena Suvari all align to dish out a gorge of stellar performances. The film is a unique perspective into the life of Lester Burnham, a middle-aged white collar office worker who ditches his day to day life to chase a stunning high schooler.

His sex life has all but disappeared, as his marriage becomes as bland as his life, and his daughter is distant and coarsely rude to him. A blend of sardonic humor, and a prompting, inspirational "screw the status quo, do what you want" theme, American Beauty is a poetic, satirical and incredibly inspirational motion picture, worthy of it's 5 academy awards and it's title as a classic of modern day cinema.