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AMERICAN BEAUTY |
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The Lizard Lives! Yes, I have awoken from my winter
hibernation and turned over a new rock. I have foresworn all those
terrible films full of exploding heads and senseless, gratuitous sex and
swearing. Instead I decided to go and see a proper film. "American
Beauty" is that film and it contains only a few exploding heads,
gratuitous sex scenes and bad language. Doh! What’s it about then? Well it’s about the dark
underbelly of the American dream told in a mistressly fashion with top
acting, directing and clever things done with cameras.
As any other review will tell you Kevin Spacey lusts after his
daughter’s school friend, gives up his job and goes back to acting like
a teenager himself. Meanwhile his materialistic wife (Annette Bening)
practices her work ethics, bonks king lounge lizard and fails to
understand Spacey. Equally important is the story of their daughter, her
friend and psycho-boy who lives next door with his own dysfunctional
family. As a piece of direction it is outstanding. The acting
is both masterful and mistressful in equal proportions. It’s gorgeous to
look at. It’s funny, sad, touching, sexy and downright brilliant. It is
also, it has to be said, not half an hour too long! On this
last criteria alone it should be awarded a full complement of Oscars right
now and bugger any competition. The nearest comparisons are “Sex, Lies
and Videotape” and “Blue Velvet”; it’s mammothly better than the
former and comes close to being as good as the latter. Despite the dark dark currents that run through this
film I found the overall effect quite uplifting and the downer of an
ending made me feel very happy. I went to see this with my step-daughter
and the truth of the film was enough to make that a slightly uncomfortable
experience to be watching it with her which is absolutely the way it
should be. Take your family to see this film if you really want to feel
its effect. Do it now. Now, where did I leave that rock? |