Review of American Beauty

Introduction

There were two certainties at this week`s Oscars, one that Peter O`Toole would get the lifetime achievement award, and two that Conrad L. Hall would posthumously receive the Oscar for best cinematography for his work on Road to Perdition. I suppose that isn`t worth much in hindsight, but I wasn`t surprised when his name was read out. Road To Perdition isn`t a movie that I have seen, but another collaboration between Director Sam Mendes and Director of Photography Conrad L. Hall that garnered 5 Oscars in 2000 was American Beauty. It seemed fitting and timely that I take this opportunity to add my own thoughts regarding this critically acclaimed film. That and the fact that Reviewer sent me a copy.

American Beauty gives us a glimpse at Middle American Suburbia through the eyes of one man`s mid life crisis. Lester Burnham is 42 and works in magazine advertising. He has a loveless marriage to Carolyn, a real estate vendor whose work is her life and they have a teenage daughter Jane, who hates them both, a typical dysfunctional family. They live next to Jim and Jim, a gay couple but it`s when the homophobic Colonel Frank Fitts and his family move in to the other house next door that Lester`s life begins to change. His son Ricky meets Lester and impresses him with his independence of spirit, inspiring Lester to make some changes in his life no matter what the effect on his family. Lester becomes obsessed with regaining his own freedom and also becomes fixated on Angela Hayes, Jane`s best friend.

Video

Presented in a 2.35: anamorphic ratio, American Beauty is given a flawless transfer. It`s clear, sharp and colourful and there is no print damage worth mentioning. The cinematography is warm, lush and atmospheric. The camera lingers and is almost languid in capturing the essence of the story. The imagery sets the tone for the story and in the way that it can toy with the audience makes it very much a character in the film.

Audio

The DD 5.1 soundtrack is powerful but understated. This film is very much a dialogue driven film, but the surrounds are used subtly to create atmosphere. The music by Thomas Newman is excellent and very evocative, making for one of the few memorable scores of recent years. Indeed his music inspired the #3 hit American Dream by Jakatta. Music is very much used to inspire a mood in this film, and some of the soundtrack choices are excellent.

Features

American Beauty is a film that needs extras, and this disc has some choice ones.

There are two theatrical trailers presented anamorphically.

There is a 22-minute Making of Documentary with interviews with the cast and the crew and glimpses behind the scenes. This is a little more in depth than the usual PR stuff and is quite interesting. You can watch this with or without subtitles.

An audio commentary from director Sam Mendes and writer Alan Ball complements the film and is always pertinent and informative, and they discuss the characters and how they are portrayed in the film. Unfortunately there are no subtitles with this.

The best addition is the hour long Storyboard Presentation with Sam Mendes and Conrad L. Hall. Presented a in 4:3 ratio, this is an engrossing discussion between the two regarding how the film was storyboarded and how the final product conformed to or differed from the original conception. It`s also an insight into how Conrad L. Hall worked and as such is very interesting. This also has subtitles.

Finally there is the chapter insert, which also has two pages of notes regarding the film from Director Sam Mendes.

Conclusion

A mid life crisis in suburbia, teen romance, adultery and recreational drug use, are all ingredients for your typical soap opera. But American Beauty is far more than just the sum of its parts. This film takes you into a lush, warm, thought provoking world with complex and compelling characters. On the surface, none of these characters have any redeeming qualities, but the script is so accomplished that as we get to know them, we discover facets that alter the way that we perceive them.

Lester Burnham as played by Kevin Spacey comes across as a beaten man, who in an attempt to rediscover himself begins to act selfishly. But there is something about his quest for freedom that is touching and even inspirational. We all will eventually have that moment where we lament our lost youth and regret paths not taken, and that is something we can relate to. Annette Bening plays his wife Carolyn, a career minded woman whose life revolves around her work. She has shaped her world completely, down to the family meals and has her well-trained husband on a tight leash. Naturally she doesn`t love him anymore. Thora Birch plays their daughter Jane and Mena Suvari is her friend Angela. Their friendship is that of typical teenagers, trying to define their place in the world with respect to others. Angela is the beautiful brash girl, confident about her place in the world but insecure underneath, and has an opinion on everything and speaks just to shock. Jane is the typical friend that these confident types pick up, a sort of verbal foil who agrees with her opinions and is suitably shocked when required. Wes Bentley plays Ricky Fitts, who is the catalyst for the changes in Lester`s life. Ricky initially comes across as materialistic and a voyeur, selling drugs beneath the nose of his violent and bigoted father Frank (Chris Cooper) as well as surreptitiously filming the neighbourhood on his camcorder, but he has a gentle soul and an eye for the Beauty so central to the story.

American Beauty is in many ways an old-fashioned and anachronistic look at middle class America, though some of the roles have been subverted. This is prevalent in the look of the film, with sets, costumes and furnishings that wouldn`t be out of place in the sixties. The Fitts family gather round an ancient TV set, the Burnhams have a traditional evening meal. The family unit must be maintained at all costs and keeping up with the Joneses is of paramount importance. The only nod to modern society is that Carolyn wears the trousers in her family and the token gay couple replace what would have been a token coloured family.

But what does that matter with cinematography, music and above all a script as powerful and evocative as this? This is the second time I have seen this film and once again, I began by being detached and disapproving of the initially self-centred characters. But this film once again worked its magic and I found myself glued to the screen. The cast all give powerful and moving performances, and the film takes you on a journey of discovery. The strength of this script is that it makes you care passionately about these flawed, human people and despite the dark ending, you will come away feeling better about yourself and the world in general.

American Beauty is by turns funny, touching, saddening and gladdening. It deserves every accolade and it demands that you take the time to watch it.

This excellent film is presented ideally on this disc. Great picture and sound are supplemented with a few very well chosen and interesting extras. Highly recommended.