You may not know it, but I don’t exactly like to review movies, Especially ones that aren’t currently in the theaters. This was one of my few exceptions. This movie was so original and hard to shack out of my head, that I felt it was necessary to write a review on it. Now if you don’t know this, I am an action movie freak and I don’t get out to see many dramas. I told myself that I would never see this movie when I saw the previews on TV. I didn’t see it until about three months into all of the hype that it has greatly deserved. My sister dragged my friend and I to see it. You don’t exactly say “no” to my sister. So I was there with my friend in a small theater, with a large amount of gummy bears sticking to my shoes, watching American Beauty. I happened to love this movie. I say that a lot about action movies but never any dramas. I felt that Kevin Spacey played the perfect role and played it out just right. He played the simple yet complex man of Lester Barnum. (It’s kind of hard to explain) Annette Benning played Spacey’s very uptight wife
The movie starts off as a narrative of Kevin Spacey’s thoughts. I can’t tell you what it says, without start talking about details of this movie, and I hate giving away the ending. But I’ll tell you this much. Anyway, Benning plays a real estate agent that sells houses in the local area. She has an affair with the biggest name in real estate “The King”. Meanwhile Spacey hates his flat and meaningless job, so he takes an exciting job at the
local Smiley Burger. Spacey’s mixed up life unfolds and he finally unwinds at his new job. The new neighbor is obsessed about the daughter. Does it sound confusing? There really is no easy way to explain this movie, so please don’t be emailing me complaining about this. I found that this complex yet weird storyline was interesting and compelling to watch. So how is American Beauty unlike every other movie? Lets see how American Beauty stacks up.
Here’s The Breakdown
Script *****
Everything from this movie was right on the nose. I didn’t find one flaw no matter how much I wanted to find one. The ending will leave you speechless and make you think about your life, and how important it really is. The writer depicted each character beautifully. Some of the scenes in the movie, you will be repeating in your head over and over again.
Acting *****
And the winner for Best Actor is…. Kevin Spacey! He portrays his fictional life with feeling. Annette Benning was nominated for Best Actress. In my opinion she should have won this award. Some of the best acting I have ever seen in a movie.
Cast ****1/2
An all-star cast with Kevin Spacey and Annette Benning. The actress that played the daughter has a bright career ahead of her. All of these actors made this movie even more watch able and enjoyable. This was mostly a veteran cast, but it worked because American Beauty became one of the most successful movies of 1999.
Overall *****
I could go out and see this movie again. This is good considering my sister dragged me out to see this movie. I must warn you that this movie is in no way for anyone under 18 years old. But if you watch MTV or channels like that, than you would understand there adult vulgarity. I do know some people that down right hated this movie. When originality appears, its either you hate it or you love it. In my case, I loved it. This movie won Best Screenplay, Best Actor, and of course Best Movie. In my opinion, they were all well deserved. If you want to rent a movie with a good story, than definitely see American Beauty. The story and amazing acting will make you keep coming back for more.
A middle-aged man confronts the reality of his suburban life. His marriage is in shambles. His daughter doesn't acknowledge his existence. But a chanc...More at HotMovieSale.com
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