American Beauty

M

miss.barboza

New member
I have just seen the film American Beauty on BBC1 for the first time and thought it was okay, but I felt peeved by the main plot and the climax. Does anyone feel it was abit over-rated?
 
Never liked it to begin with.

Always thought it was posturing rubbish that thinks itself profound, but actually offers nothing more than platitudes and some terrible cliches, e.g. Mr uptight military man (one of the film's many stereotypes) has a deep, dark secret. Can you guess what it is?

Beautifully shot by Conrad Hall, but it really is the Emperor's new clothes.
 
I don't want to reveal who the killer was incase anyone who's not seen the film reaRAB this thread, but the killer had their chance whilst it was raining, why then did they return afterwarRAB? It was one of those moments when you expected t then ad there.
 
No not overrated at all. I loved it personally, seen it about 4 times. Annette Bening gives a fantastic performance, Kevin Spacey is great in it. I just think that it a good example of tremendous film-making, every frame is just pure beauty and the score, one of my favorite film scores of all times.

I understand some people won't get it but it deserves the recognition it's gained...
 
I thought the idea and dark intensity of the end was good but it was dissappointing due to the cliche' and the long intro and the general sense of pervertion e.g. olderman masturbating over a younger girl in bed whilst his wife is present and young teenagers secretly filming their neighbours everyday, aswell as dead birRAB.
I'm not arguing btw, it's just someone told me to appreciate sex lives of the potato men too, you can hardly compare that to american beauty, it merely reminded me.
 
I've watched the film and enjoyed it. However I felt little or no sympathy with Kevin's character, I really didn't. I dislike the way that his character was portrayed as someone who was a victim of those around him as opposed to the main culprit in his own fate, if that makes sense.
 
I love this film, beautifully shot and wonderfully scathing about the whole 'American Dream' facade.





Because
he had to return to his house to get a gun. He didn't go out in the rain with the intention to kill, it was only after his advances were spurned that he decided to murder Spacey
.
 
I thought it was a really good movie - at the time - although now I can't help but find it a bit of a cheesefest. Not sure why, maybe it hasn't aged well...
 
I've never liked American Beauty, it's always annoyed me. The film sets up the premise of the middle-aged man going through a midlife crisis and rejecting everything around him, and what happens when you do that, and the impact on your family, health, etc, then it cops out just before it gets into really dangerous territory and has the main character randomly die. And they tell you he's going to die in the first scene of the film, so it's not even a surprise! (or a spoiler)

It also has the single most annoying scene in film history - the bag floating about in an updraft and that kid eulogising over it. As Peter Kay would say: "What's that??!?! That's just litter and wind!!"
 
Best film ever!

The tagline of the film is "look closer" ;) It's not a film which spoon feeRAB you the meaning in it. It has great character development, too. Films are not always about how class they can make the special effects or how twisted the ending is...

The film basically shows how "normal" suburban life is far from normal - I bet Desperate Housewives stole/borrowed from this idea ;) Even with the narrator woman speaking from beyond the grave, like Lester does.

American Beauty is actually my favourite film. It's not massively complicated but what it does for me is massive.

All the cast fit their roles perfectly, especially Annette Benning (sp?) and Kevin Spacey.

Simple yet not simple!

By the way, the director is British ;)
 
I love the film.
Even if you don't like it much ,you have to be greatful for one thing.
After many years we finally got to see Mena Suvari's tits.
Not that good it has to be said,but it stopped me wondering.
Good music too
 
Perhaps not a great film but certainly a very good film I liked the way every major character in it evolved (or devolved depending on your point of view) in to the complete opposite of what you thought they were at the beginning
 
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