American Beauty by Sam Mendes

Rating: 9/10 (16 March 2019)

The beauty is one of the most important themes, which has been often explored in songs, poetries and plays. They would transmit different kind of emotions, as they still capture the audience attention. The songs about beauty describe the desperate pursuit of it, in the darkest moments through the most miserable places. The singers would express their emotions in the saddest way, which is often filled with poetic rhymes and touching musical notes. In the poetries, the authors express their feelings with difficulties, when they would find something touching. In the plays, the main characters often act long monologues and soliloquies, to express their feelings and most of the time their doubts. Especially when they would try to move on, by facing unexpected tragic moments. Some plays would end in bad way, which the main characters die only after, they have found something precious that they have been looking for. Others would end in good way, which the main characters live in the peaceful places, where they express their happiness through a long final monologue. After Sam Mendes has directed some plays, he seems interested to explore the theme about beauty. Especially after he read the script written by Alan Ball, which has been offered by Steven Spielberg who saw a potential in Sam Mendes. In 1999 came out American Beauty by Sam Mendes, with Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening, Thora Birch, Wes Bentley, Chris Cooper and Mena Suvari. The movie's plot: Lester Burnham is a depressed 42 years old man who is unsatisfied with his job, he has also difficulties to talk with his wife Carolyn and his daughter Jane. But since Lester falls in love with Angela Hayes, who is Jane's best friend, he starts to change his life. Carolyn and Jane change their lives as well, until an unexpected conclusion would happen. The movie from the beginning to the end, is filled with mise-en-scènes to create images to look like paintings. These mise-en-scènes are helped by the lightnings to make the scenes more atmospheric, especially when the main characters express their emotions in the specific moments. All the actors played characters who have in common, that they are searching for something important in the course of the story. Kevin Spacey was excellent as Lester Burnham, who initially was excluded like he is not as important as Carolyn and Jane. Until Lester would meet Angela Hayes to change his life, as he starts to do sport to get physically fit, he quits his job to find another one and befriends with the new neighbor Ricky Fitts who would give Lester pots to smoke. Annette Bening did a well done performance as Carolyn Burnham, who tries to be as successful as her real estate competitor Buddy Kane. Then Carolyn would have an affair with Buddy, to have found the success she has been looking for. Thora Birch was really good as Jane Burnham, who would initially act like her friend Angela Hayes. But since Jane falls in love with the neighbor Ricky Fitts, she would be herself to not imitate anymore the behavior of Angela. Wes Bentley did a well done performance as Ricky Fitts, who once he meets Lester and Jane Burnham, he would show both of them a way to find something they missed. Since Lester starts to smoke pots, thanks to Ricky, Lester would kind of live again the youth he missed. Jane would initially not trust Ricky, by looking him with bad eyes. Until she finds a way to be confident with him, as they would have a relationship to be close with each other. Then Chris Cooper was excellent as Colonel Frank Fitts, who would be initially seen as a restricted and homophobic character to not express any emotions. As he would often hit his son Ricky for a foolish discipline, until something would change him to be more emotional and less restricted. Finally Mena Suvari was also excellent as Angela Hayes, who would be seen as an avoided teenage girl. Especially when she tells stories on the time where she had sex with a lot of men, until it would be find out she is a girl who wants to be just a popular teenager. The script was elaborated to see how the story would be developed, from the beginning to the end by creating a workable narration. The score by Thomas Newman creates the emotions needed, to make the scenes poetic and atmospheric. As the tracks of the score are compatible with the most important scenes, by making them unforgettable and emotional. American Beauty is one of the best Sam Mendes' movies, it is also one of the best movies of the 90s.