American Beauty: Cinematic Perfection

Rating: 9/10 (28 March 2010)

I tracked down this film more to sample the further delights of Alan Ball than anything else, his incredible creation in Six Feet Under demanding I seek out all else by this genius. His debut as a screenwriter, as well as Mendes' as a director, American Beauty has become recognised as an enduring great.
A search for meaning in a flawed world, American Beauty is the life of Lester Burnham. An advertising employee, Burnham is the epitome of the archetypical suburban man: trapped in a job he despises, a marriage which has long ago run out of steam, and a life which seems devoid of significance or happiness. Catalysed by the arrival of revolutionary thinker Ricky next door, Burnham begins to realise the extent of unhappiness he is prone to, and see his life for what it truly is.
Kevin Spacey's voice-over narration introduces us immediately to his character and the world around him, as well as the eventual turn of the plot. This early revelation of the film's ending is interesting and tells us from the outset that American Beauty relies not on narrative to entice its viewers. What exactly it does rely on is impossible to say, the pure perfection of each of its constituent elements as apparently important as each other. Ball's script dominates, his impressive wit and broodingly dark intelligence reigning supreme over the film. Mendes' direction gives us shot after shot of crippling beauty, as per the title. The performances are perhaps the most attractive thing to be found, the casting almost certainly the best I have ever seen. These actors and actresses were born for these roles, with Spacey, Bening, Cooper and Bentley providing particularly deep immersion and poignancy. All combine to give a powerful film which incites thought, boasts an unrivalled aesthetic, questions the modern world, and entertains superbly.
With the dark hilarity and ripe relevance characteristic of Ball, Mendes gives us a memorable, sublime and incredibly important piece of cinematic perfection. Career defining performances from all give us characters we recognise from our own lives, further dragging us into the film's spellbinding brilliance. Unique and ever essential, American Beauty is the kind of film which makes life worth living.