Look Closer.......Appreciate the deepness.......Spectacular.....

Rating: 10/10 (8 March 2005)

American Beauty is loved by the world for the pure reason that it is real. The film shows a real family and the ups and downs that they experience. The tag line, "Look Closer" sums up not only the film, but life as a whole. What goes on behind closed doors can be quite different to what others see.....
The film follows the life to death of Lester Burnham. A man who facing a mid life crisis who decides to tun his life around, without realising the effect that this will have on the rest in his life.
American Beauty is the debut of Sam Mendes. The way the lives of these ordinary people are portrayed are amazing. Whats clever about it are the hidden meanings that are in the movie. For example, the portrayal of Lester feeling as if he is in prison, done by the shots of Lester always being blocked by something, eg a window or a shower cubicle. His relationship with his daughter leaves you feeling an immense amount of sadness for Lester. The line, "Hows Jane, hows her life" just shows how much he doesn't know his daughter and how distant he feels from her. You cant help but cry for him.
A review about American Beauty cant be done without the mention of symbolism. The fact that there is a video camera there sort of represents the connection between life and fiction. Ricky is filming the family as they experience normal life, but to him its not real. The rose petals can represent many things, beauty, anger, love, lust. The fact that they are seen always around Lester and Angela means it probably represents youth and lust. Lester experiences the falling of the petals each time he thinks of Angela as to him she is the only thing beautiful in his life at that moment. Its only at the end he comes to appreciate everything in his life despite the grief it has caused him.
To sum up, American Beauty is one of those films that don't come around too often. As well as entertaining us it gives us the chance to really "look closer" at the film and helps us to appreciate life as we know it. As the line at the end states, "you have no idea what I'm talking about I'm sure, but don't worry, you will someday"........