Review of American Beauty (1999) by Matt G — 04 Feb 2015

*GREAT MOVIE*.

"American Beauty" - An American masterpiece.

Lester Burnam: It's hard to stay mad, when there's so much beauty in the world.

It's great when a movie can pull you in, show you characters that you come to know and care for, and change your emotions based on what happens to these characters. "American Beauty" does just that. At some of the most important times in their lives, we learn about the colorful personalities of these people. They all have beauty, something that pulls the audience in. We sympathize with them, we like to know about them.

I'm most intrigued by the performance that Kevin Spacey gives. He's so believable, so perfectly sarcastic when he speaks during the humorous moments of the film, and so pathetic, but I like our protagonist. Come to think of it, every character has a likable aspect, but the things they hide from us, the things hidden underneath, can come out at any moment, and they're unexpected.

Not only is "American Beauty" a brilliant dramatic picture that has us caring for the characters, it's also a successful comedy, and effortless at that. Naturally, some of these characters, especially Lester (Spacey) and Carolyn (Bening), are often sarcastic. It could seem awkward, it could be questionable, but it's not like that. I was never wondering whether or not a certain part was meant to be funny, it just is, and it works.

It's a comedy that is able to take itself seriously, and stay serious throughout its entirety. I've actually never seen a movie shift so quickly and easily from being incredibly dramatic and emotional to being a movie that seems to have some humor.

Having said all of this, I believe "American Beauty" is easily one of the greatest films about family, marriage, and especially beauty. The beauty and the beast. We see both here. We see lies, betrayal, depression, relationships, love, and friendship, appear, disappear, only to reappear. I loved it. The best film of the year.