'Look closer' , for eternal glory

Rating: 10/10 (18 September 2016)

Every single time I come across with American Beauty I just stop any and every thing I'm doing to appreciate one more time, for the billionth time, this eternal masterpiece. It's just one of those movies that you learn so much from, that every time you watch it you feel like you just found something that wasn't there the last time you saw it, either the subtle irony in some Kevin Spacey line or that hilarious hidden scowl in Annette Benning's Carolyn. Those two are definitely worth watching forever. The plot couldn't be simpler: A seemingly typical American family goes through some rough times as the daughter Jane (Thora Birch) goes through adolescence and the father Lester (stunning stunning stunning Kevin Spacey) becomes increasingly less attracted to his wife, and true 'family guy', Carolyn, played by Benning, who if there was any justice in the world, would've won that Oscar. The Burnhams were happy once, so it looks, but as time went by they lost the passion, the joy, and became 3 individuals who share a house and a dinner table (watch out for that scene, too good to be true). Turning point? Ricky and his family arrive to the neighborhood, and Lester develops a crush on Jane's cheer leading mate Angela (Mena Suvari in her best, ever). You never get very fond of Ricky, but I guess that's what Wes Bentley wanted, brilliantly playing this weird, eerie misfit who has an obsession with Jane. It sounds pretty boring, right? But it's not, really. Slowly, everything starts to crumble, as the characters strive to achieve some happiness in their dull lives. From Ricky's homophobic dad to Carolyn herself, every single one of them wants something they're not getting, and it's writer Alan Ball we should thank to for such a flawless depiction of ordinary misery and unhappiness. The 5 Oscars speak for themselves, this is a triumph in every single aspect. It makes you laugh until you cry but it also makes you feel this weird fear that your life will turn into this one day. For all that matters, it's Sam Mendes's masterpiece, and a perfect example of how cinema can get inside your head. It's the story of the pursuit of happiness in an American neighborhood. Eternal.