American Beauty was a great film. I liked it immensely, even with my doubts about it after my dad hated it, and then my friends talked it up so much. Some parts of the movie were extremely powerful and quietly beautiful. And while the ideas pursued are really nothing we haven't seen before, it does it in a very fresh, darkly hysterical way that I've never really seen put into effect so perfectly. However, a lot of the movie feels very self-indulgent. Sam Mendes seemed to think during filming that he was creating a masterpiece (which, in some respects, is true). But it becomes almost obnoxious, especially considering the fact that he's a cynical Brit, when he creates events that would only ever occur in a stereotype. Parts of the film feel very staged and unbelievable...and while I understand his satire, which is often brilliant, it becomes tiresome when it's put into the wrong places.
Now that I got my criticisms out of the way, let me tell you how much I loved Kevin Spacey. He is, without a doubt, the fricken man. His performance is so perfect. I can't really even critique it successfully, so I'll move on to Annette Bening. She was very good as well, though even when she's supposed to be portraying a fake housewife, she takes it a little bit too seriously. I think if she had chosen to have more fun with the role it would have been a lot better, but I'm not complaining too much.
The rest of the cast was good, considering most of them were given their stereotypical roles and probably told to play them stereotypically (but that may just be a stereotype...laugh). I would like to add how good Wes Bentley was though. He had some of the most amazing lines in a movie I have ever heard...his philosophies and undertones are amazing. I think it's most likely just because his character is written up so well, but he pulls it off very well. And the scene with the plastic bag is still haunting me.
The story is played out very smoothly and intriguingly. You can't take your eyes away from the screen...you are taken into the world of fake suburban contentness that the entire film is criticizing, and you begin to hate it yourself. Some of the camera angles are amazing, and there is great utilization of footage from Ricky's hand-held camera, which captures some of the best parts of the movie. Some of the dialogue is hilarious, especially after Kevin Spacey goes into full mid-life crisis-mode. When things go right for him, you can't help but feel happy for him, and you hate anyone in the film who doesn't seem to like him. This just goes to show the skill of the writing of the film.
Lastly, I would like to mention the color red. And how annoying it got. I mean, I understood the flowers. The red bouquets of roses were always shown around his house and his wife, while the cascading red rose petals were always shown around Angela, symbolizing the "ultimate temptation". That was a very good idea, and it perfectly fit the movie. Now, I've never noticed this in a movie before, but the color red just became abrasive. It was fricken everywhere. Sometimes, it worked for the symbolism, but other times it was pointless and would show up when temptation was nowhere in the picture. I might just be being cynical, but I know my dad noticed it too and hated it.
I feel bad pointing out all the flaws of this movie. But, I mean, what else can you do for a movie like this? It's a great film, a perfect representation of suburban unrest. Don't get me wrong from my criticisms...I really liked the film. I just really wish it hadn't seemed so "self-important", and that Sam Mendes had a little bit less contempt for America. I feel your disregard for us, because I thoroughly believe that we suck, but make it a little bit more subtle. But I mean, who am I to talk.