A darkly comic critique of suburban stupor with a measured touch of redemption.

Rating: 9/10 (11 July 2010)

A depressed suburban father (Kevin Spacey) recalls the events leading up to his own murder.
Rampantly skewing the hypocrisies of bourgeois American life, the film was hailed, somewhat paradoxically, as an instant modern classic for its painterly veneer and mordant acting. It's immensely well crafted, but a lurking archness infects the tone on repeat viewings. In September 2008, Empire named American Beauty the 96th "Greatest Movie of All Time" after a poll of 10,000 readers, 150 filmmakers and 50 film critics. The film won five Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Original Screenplay and Best Cinematography.