American Beauty

Rating: 9/10 (9 January 2019)

I sit across the fence (border) from America, and do my best to avoid Americana movies that expose the wretchedness of the human condition. It feels like an assault on my maxim of inherent goodness (naive comes to mind). Perhaps, I don't want to be reminded in a leisurely evening. It seems, rather hypocritically of me, that America 'owns' every conceivable nightmare imaginable. Yet, I find myself, yet again, surprised by the depths we plumb. This may be just another movie on the struggle of racial equality and horrors observed, but Spike Lee manages to wrap it up in a story, that seems patently absurd and tacitly comedic. The silliness and stupidity of folks will never wash away humanities failings. Yet, is true, as non fiction movies go. I'm telling you, after watching this movie, I want to disown my membership card in the human race. The movie might take liberties with the truth, but not with reality. Weeks ago, I mistakenly passed over this movie because of the title. Best movie I've seen in some time. This movie isn't solely about entertaining, if that is possible with subject matter, but to open your mind.