Alienation, artifice, joie de vivre

Rating: 10/10 (23 September 2009)

Sam Mendes' stunning account of life in middle class suburbia is simply a must watch movie for all. Kevin Spacey plays a man utterly bored with life until a new family move in next door and he discovers the joys of marijuana, masturbation and pumping iron. His wife is less than impressed, and sates herself with an affair with a vacuous, shallow but wealthy man, and the whole time his daughter is struggling to come to terms with her friendship with a girl who, at least outwardly, appears to have everything she desires. A powerful, at times moving, at others amusing tale, that is both relevant and occasionally shocking. If you haven't seen this yet, make sure you do before you shake off that mortal coil of yours.