Beautiful

Rating: Null/10 (19 June 2004)

Usually, at the Oscars, you get the same old story - the films that are up for about five million awards are either war films or those zillion dollar movies like Titanic. I can always predict which film is going to win in and usually it makes me sick with the predictability. So how happy was I, that controversial, slightly bizarre but most importantly honest American Beauty had more than one nomination?
It's hard to say what exactly made me love this film, because there are so many elemants that impressed me. The acting for one. In fact, there wasn't really a bad performence and Kevin Spacey was perfect for the deadpan Lester. And thumbs up to Mena Suvari for her little tart cheerleader role - she was better than I thought she'd be.
Then there's the direction. All I have to say is Sam Mendes is very, very good. The image of the pristine white picket fence of a suburban town, Suvari lying naked in rose petals (how many times have people spoofed that now?) and the plastic bag floating serenely...it's all done with skill and elegance. Plus, he shows versatility, as his direction was quite different in Road to Perdition.
And let's not forget the score. Thomas Newman is my personal favourite and American Beauty is one of his best works. Again, he's influencing all those pathetic copycats, which just goes to show you...
But is it the message and openess of this movie that caught a lump in my throat towards the end? This is a simple tale about life - that we screw up, can never feel alive until we've died and that if we look closer, there's more beauty than we could imagine. And God forbid that middle-aged men are allowed to fantasise about teenage girls if they're bored with their marriage. That's life...you wouldn't get that message in Titanic.