Sam Mendez With Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening, Thora Birch, Mena Suvari, Chris Cooper. Alan Ball Official site . The strength of the acting in American Beauty keeps everything on the edge, with Spacey especially good as the frustrated Lester. Former Broadway director Sam Mendes makes his big-screen debut with this film, and it's a good one. There are times when American Beauty feels like it might be toppling over into melodrama, but Mendes grabs the reins and reels his actors in, generating power and a lot of perspiration in the process.
Life is no bed of roses.
All of David Butterworth's reviews can be found at La Movie Boeuf .