Beautiful Suvari

Rating: 8/10 (9 May 2006)

Sometimes less is more, as is the case here: Mena Suvari was not a huge star at the time, nor does she have a huge part, but she probably provides the most memorable performance. Spacey is excellent as the put-upon father, stuck in a rut as well as a mid-life crisis. Birch doesn't quite hit the mark here for me - her character borders on obnoxious and I can't decide if it's meant to be. The incidental characters are all polished performances and the score is quite magical. Whether it deserved 5 Oscars is debatable, as there were some good movies around in 1999.
It certainly impresses as an original piece of art, and also manages to accurately portray the hypocrisy of small-town life as it probably is in any westernized country across the globe. The actors don't hold back and the result is a satisfying, professional and complete work, that deserves a special place in recent cinematic history.