A mixed-bag of much brilliance but also much condescension

Rating: 5/10 (13 January 2000)

"American Beauty" has been praised exorbitantly by both film critics and audiences across the nation. The time has come for a real assessment of this picture. The truth is, that perhaps the hype surrounding it has clouded how good it actually is. Do I think it's a bad picture? By no means. Do I feel it's a strong work, flawed by good intentions? Yes. Let's start off with the character of Carolyn, the burnt-out suburban wife who grows tired of the same-old life. She is played with gusto by Annette Bening. I think the role is written as a bit too much of a caricature to be as affecting as it's meant to be. Bening is memorable in a difficult role, but I do wish Mr. Ball would have taken greater care in making her seem like a woman, rather than a shrill schoolgirl. I almost think a slight bit of misogyny runs underneath this portrayal. However, this role is retrieved with the role of Janey, played by Thora Birch. She makes a sharp contrast to her mother, and perhaps is the way it's meant to be. I hope so. Then much of my hesitancy about the film will be quelled. Kevin Spacey is astonishing in a role both funny and feeling. He captures the innocence and the devastation life causes. He's a man who has become a puppet, and he wants revenge. Spacey is dynamic and quite amazing. The rest of the actors, with the exception to the underwritten Mr. Fitts, are all terrifically appealing. Another strong aspect of the film is its writing (excluding some minor problems in the structure of the conclusion). Alan Ball's screenplay is ribald and haunting, true and beautiful. Seeing it come to life on the screen is a tragic, moving experience, as is the film. Sam Mendes' first-time direction is never less than hynotic. The way he uses the camera and the widescreen is admirable. Every shot seems to be perfectly set, and somehow the camera is in tune to this cold, harsh environment. The direction is first-rate, and among the best of 1999. The first hour of this picture is among the finest I've seen. It's a stunningly biting comedy about suburbia and the hell it brings. Everything is told sharply, with the edge of a scalpel. Satire is wonderful if handled right, and boy is it. The only problem with the film is its climax, which feels a bit preconceived. There's a plot element, involving something using an Austin Powers-like gag that leads to misunderstanding, which sets the final machinations in order. Nevertheless, the ending works because we know it from the beginning. The plot comes full circle. Seeing the last 10 minutes of the movie were akin to an avalanche of emotion, most of them sad and eerie. "American Beauty", much more so than "Happiness", is a sad work, one in which there's no perfection to be had. The point is told well, and in memorable fashion. AB is a memorable picture in many ways. Anyone not in tears as the inevitable death is played out is doubtful to ever cry. The movie also doesn't force its emotions. It earns them through character observations. All in all, AB is a fine motion picture experience, even if I was a bit bothered by the mechanism that it took to get there. Grade: B+/A-. A fine, sad, penetrating picture. AB is flawed, but at its best, it's moviemaking of the first order