A beautiful film

Rating: 10/10 (11 October 2014)

American Beauty is the epitome of perfect emotional cinema. It boasts great direction, screen writing and performances all round, making it, in my opinion, one of the greatest films ever made.
The story follows Lester Burnham, a man who seems to have lost all hope in life, as he is stuck in a joyless marriage and has trouble connecting with his teenage daughter. This all changes when he meets Angela, his daughter's best friend. From then on, Lester decides to take back control of his life. The question is, how will it affect those around him?
Kevin Spacey gives a career defining performance and once again nails it as Lester, a man so fed up with life that he needed a radical change. The evolution of the character is done to perfection and Spacey's Oscar winning work is the proof. All other actors do their parts in great fashion as well and make the movie even better. With inspired performances like these, the film only gets better with a magical combination of Alan Ball's script and Sam Mendes' debut as a cinematic director. Among other things I love about this film, I can't go on without mentioning the heart wrenching soundtrack that pulls out a wallop of emotions.
American Beauty is a wonderful, yet ultimately tragic tale of how people can hide their true selves. However they choose to change, one thing is certain: it will affect everything in the status quo. Lester's story is the example of that and it is one that I will heartedly support every time I watch this movie.
Rating: 10/10