Hilariously Interesting

Rating: 9/10 (6 April 2016)

American Beauty is a romantic comedy that doesn't suck, which is a nice break. It follows a man stuck in an unhealthy relationship with his wife and eventually falls in love with his 16-year-old daughter's best friend. It's an unconventional love story, and it's done beautifully.
The plot is great. It's presented in a very comedic way and it's actually very funny. It's interesting and realistic, which is a little surprising, but nothing ever felt out of place. The subplot is also very good, and while I think we've all seen it before I think that it was the more relatable and serious of both plots, which created a really nice balance of both fun and seriousness.
The characters are quite good too. You have a good idea of who they are, and they aren't horribly far-fetched either. All of them were flawed people, but not so flawed and that they were obviously fake. A lot of them, especially Kevin Spacey's character, were very likable as well.
Like I already said, the movie is very funny. But all the humor is done in a very natural way. During character conversations they might say something funny, but it's part of the conversation and further develops their character as well as furthers the conversation, so it exists as more than just a joke.
Overall American Beauty is fantastic. The plot and subplot are very good, the characters are great, and it's incredibly funny without feeling forced. In the end I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this movie, so long as you're willing to be wowed.