Ambiguous

Rating: 8/10 (19 April 2000)

Satire is an ambiguous genre: The theater play or a movie of satire genre is funny to everyone that doesn't understand how serious the issue is, and it's tragic and shocking to everyone that does.
For that matter, I find `American Beauty' an intelligent, slick and powerful film which is at the same time an earsplitting absurdity comedy, and a tragic and provocative modern everyday drama. One will roll all over the floor from laughter, the other will be horrified for knowing that what is seen is not a fiction  that or very similar things happen in our back yard every day, and it's a ruthless daily routine we do or do not directly face.
I think it's impressive how the creators managed to keep such twisted motives and layers subtle and smooth enough not to enter the list of dark movies, but still keep the tone of serious and stratified. I was also impressed how a stage play director skilfully and persuasively handles the world where there is no limit in space (especially smooth, easy and sly frame handling, consistent narration clarity and visibly excellent collaboration with the actors). And precise performances by Spacey, Cooper, Bently and Birch, together with correctly casted Benning and Suvari, elevate the entireness to even a higher level which it would not achieve without the mentioned. Imagine anyone else with the same interpretation of Lester Burnham. I can't.
Yes, I consider that the look of the film's final cut desperately lacks more specific atmosphere and the ending from the first screenplay draft (I read the original draft the day after seeing the movie because I knew something was wrong with the ending  and I was right; that tells you enough), although that does not make it a lot worse.
I was pretty surprised with all those Academy Awards `American Beauty' received, considering that it's contemporary and not epic, but also, in some way, constructed too traditionally and conventionally for the Academy's taste. Maybe because it's the first satire of that quality. Ambiguous.