stunning

Rating: 10/10 (2 April 2007)

Kevin Spacey stars in "American Beauty" as Lester Burnham, a man unknowingly living the last year of his life. His life looks nothing like the one he had envisioned for himself, with an overbearing and distant wife, a teenage daughter who can't stand the sight of him, and a job he's being forced out of by fascist-like tactics. Before long Lester rediscovers a sense of control and empowerment over his own destiny. What follows is a film that makes film-making look easy, as it moves slowly and deliberately through a well-told and intelligent examination of suburban America.
"American Beauty" was released in 1999, the same year as David Fincher's brilliant "Fight Club". Both films explore similar themes of mortality, identity, and the male psyche. However Fincher's film played these themes within the context of a far darker canvas, and was therefore given a cold shoulder in its initial release. Given the tastes of mainstream America, the fact that a dark satire in the vein of "American Beauty" would be embraced enough to win a best picture Oscar is impressive. Thematic nature aside, pitting "American Beauty" against "Fight Club" would steadily become an apple versus oranges scenario. So it should be fair to state that both are similarly themed significant works of art and "American Beauty" was given the opportunity to win several well-deserved awards, including an Oscar for first-time director Sam Mendes and first-time screenwriter Alan Ball.