The true beauty of film

Rating: 10/10 (3 March 2011)

Let me start off by saying that no review can do justice to this absolute masterpiece, and if you haven't watched this movie, please do so as soon as you possibly can.
Phew. I have watched 'American Beauty' half a dozen times and not once did I encounter a moment where I felt a shot was wasted, or a line of dialogue mislaid. This movie is the most realistic portrayal of life I have ever seen in film. Every single aspect of this film - the brilliant direction by Sam Mendes, the wonderful original screenplay by Alan Ball, the original score by Thomas Newman, and of course the wonderful acting performances led by Kevin Spacey and Annette Bening - is near perfect. A testament to the quality of the film that swept the top Academy and Golden Globe awards in 2000.
No part of 'American Beauty' is more memorable than the last 2-3 minutes. The sheer prowess of the direction, cinematography and screenplay intertwined with the subtle musical notes converge to form a poetic end. The touching narration by Lester (Kevin Spacey) makes you think long after the credits roll. There is a lot of wonderfully written comedy too. And the actors (especially Spacey) are so good that there is no artificiality in the way the jokes are pulled off. In short, the movie has everything.
It surely breaks into my top 5 movies of all time, along with movies like Schindler's List and Sunset Blvd.
10/10.