Beautiful, just beautiful

Rating: Null/10 (3 June 2000)

Touted as one of the films of the decade by critics across the USA, directed by acclaimed (and now Oscar winning) theatre director Sam Mendes (who did 'The Blue Room' with Nicole Kidman) and with Oscar-winning cinematographer Conrad Hall ('Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid') on board, 'American Beauty' was always going to be something special.
Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey) is a very bored suburban husband. His job sucks, his wife (Annette Bening) and daughter (Thora Birch) think he's a joke. He is sedated, impotent, powerless to change his joyless life. Then he finds a hero  the weird kid next door. Eighteen-year-old Ricky Fitts (Wes Bentley) films things with his video camera, deals high-quality dope and lies to his bizarre parents. He has everything Lester wants - most of all, he is free. He inspires Lester to spectacularly quit his job and work at a burger bar instead. He buys a new car, smokes hash, works out and listens to some superb music. He develops a crush on his daughter's best friend (Mena Suvari), who comes to represent all the beauty in the world that he is missing out on.
This film is truly remarkable. Defying classification by genre, it is a drama, a social commentary, a whodunnit thriller, a romance, a philosophical discursion on life, but most of all it is a comedy. The humour ranges from pitch-black to American Pie style, but always produces laughs. Plot twists are thrown up every two minutes  it is incredible how it can pack in so much material, while retaining a tight focus on Lester and his increasing freedom. Breathtaking images of rose petals and white steam contrast sharply with the staid suburban backdrop, showing Lester's innermost thoughts. The writing (by Alan Ball, who deservedly won an Oscar for this) is razor-sharp and, when combined with awe-inspiring performances by every member of the cast (particularly Spacey  this is his best yet, which is saying a great deal), produces some of the most memorable dialogue of the decade.

As we enter a new Millenium, this is a truly great exploration of modern life. Everyone should see this  it will give you a fresh perspective on movies and quite possible on life as well.