Rating: 
Summary: An Excellent Movie!
Review: American Beauty does the perfect job of portraying a disfunctional family in this decade.Kevin Spacey is wonderful in his role as Lester Burnham. Spacey's performance by far makes this film. He adds many touches of comedy and sarcasm throughout this ununusal tale. Annette Bening plays Lester's disfunctional cheating wife Carolyn. Bening should have won a best supporting actress award for her role in AB. From Spacey's sarcasm, Bening's quirkiness, and Mena Suvari's seductive, yet sexy role as the young Angela Hayes; American Beauty's tale of lust, infidelity and mid life crisis is a real joy to watch. I can not recommend this film to you enough! It is very much worth a purchase!
Rating: 
Summary: Great movie OK DVD
Review: I loved the movie alot but the dvd is missing special features. Rumor has it that there is a ton of deleted footage. Theres a extended ending that adds about 9 minutes to movie and flying sequences with kevin spacey. Unfortunately for us the Director choose to not put that in the dvd because, it would detract from the film (go figure). Still a very good movie, I have not decided whether it is better than sixth sense.
Rating: 
Summary: The angst of modern suburban American life
Review: This story is told from the perspective of a just-murdered man who had turned his life around before he died. Frankly, I think this plot device was too contrived. I wish I could have just seen the story unfold naturally. But there was nothing natural anyway about this movie. It was all stereotypes exaggerated to a degree that made them comical. Throw in irreverent humor, some bold language and universal truths. The movie is a success because the audience relates to it. Kevin Spacey is "everyman" just trying to be happy. And so he quits his job, lusts after his teenage daughter's friend, tells off his wife, smokes pot, plays his favorite music and achieves the kind of success that evoke cheers. The acting is good. Casting is fine. But as far as I'm concerned, the story just didn't make it and I had to force myself to stay interested in the characters. I also didn't like the cinematography, especially the dream sequences or the grainy images of videotaping which the daughter's boyfriend, a weird but yet sympathetic character played by Wes Bently, was obsessed with taping. Maybe it was all the hype that turned me off. Maybe it was just that I was bored. And maybe because I just felt so sad at the end of the picture, that I just can't think of it as entertainment.
Rating:
Summary: AMAZING acting and direction! The best in years!
Review: Kevin Spacey, Annette Benning, and an all-star cast star in the darkly comic and genuinely funny film about a suburban family who has a thirst for difference. Kevin Spacey stars as Lester Burnham, an unhappy-chappy who decides to quit his job, blackmail his boss, smoke marijuana, and pursue his daughter's friend, Mena Suvari. Annette Benning is his real estate agent wife who is so frustrated with her job and Lester's outlandish behavior that she begins an extra-marital affair with her hardest competition, Peter Gallagher. Their daughter, palyed by Thora Birch is a desperate teenager who hates her irrational parents, and begins a romance with her next door neighbour, Wes Bently that could change her life. Those are the Burnhams, and surrounding them is an insane world that they all despise. AMERICAN BEAUTY is a beauty of a film, that will leave you astonished at it's power, and black comedy mixed in with sad drama. Even though the film is mostly a comedy, smart viewers (who happen to be the only people I would reccomend this movie to) will g\find that during all the comedy, there is a deep feeling of despair (and great acting and directing) American Beauty has few flaws, but is not for people who have prejiduces against homo-sexuality, not-too-bright-folks, and anyone who doesn't like this movie, has something else about them that causes their dis-like for this wonderful motion picture.
Rating:
Summary: What Is Beautiful In Our Eyes
Review: Many people have denounced this movie because of its supposedly undeserved praise at the Academy Awards and in part for the ugly rumors that circulated as to why it garnered so much exultation. I remember reading that one person was angry because so many beautiful films that were nominated, containing deep and intriguing subject matter, were snuffed for a self-absorbed screenplay portraying a dark and perverse white suburbia. The film is not about this, and is far from any other dismaying assumptions people might have made. It is about what each of us perceives as beautiful in our own eyes, be it purely physical or the beauty we find in each other deep down in the pit of our fragile souls. It is about being thankful for the priceless gifts bestowed upon us and finding splendor in the simplest of things in our every day lives. It shows us that image can only take us so far before the truth about our personal nature must be revealed and the consequences we suffer when we dishonor that truth. I'll admit that I was slightly disappointed upon my first viewing of the movie because of its incomprehensible and climactic ending. However, upon continual viewings, my interpretation of it began to change, and I realized why its writer chose a tragic finale. I saw what message it was trying to convey to its every viewer, and I felt profound sorrow upon realization of the amount of ignorance in our world, yet I had a sense of hope. Granted, the film possesses good amounts of acerbic banter and biting humor to avoid being completely grave, but its overall message behind the mature and sardonic jokes is all too significant and more optimistic than some seem to think. The moral I pulled from it is this: Recognize what is important, because in the blink of an eye, it could be gone. Life is short, rough, but priceless. Don't go through it with a narrow mind, either. Open your eyes to everything around you and force yourself to take a deeper look. There's something beautiful in every single thing we see, no matter how it appears at first glance. And no, it doesn't matter what kind of person you are, you can see anything as long as your heart is open to it. Now that I'm past the fight for artistic recognition, I'll move on to the stellar performances that this film boasts. Let's start with our main attraction: Kevin Spacey. Is there anything this man can't do? The first time I ever saw him was in the eerie portrayal of the sly and sanctimonious serial killer John Doe in "Seven", co-starring w/Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt. He continued to impress with debonair bits as the smug prosecutor Rufus Buckley in "A Time To Kill", and as Jim Williams, the rich Southern playboy with a dark secret in "Midnight In The Garden Of Good and Evil". But compared to the pessimistic and sardonic persona of Lester Burnham, I've never seen such an entertaining or more realistic character portrayed. Lester is the epitome of the middle-aged American male: 40-hour week job at a boring, sanity-consuming marketing firm involving telephone promotion run by a self-concerned, money-minded CEO. There is a dark haze over his satisfaction towards his marriage and his life, the opinions of his wife and daughter laying waste to his crumbling self-esteem. It is in the moment that he lays eyes upon Angela Hayes' (Mena Suvari, the perfect ditz) glamorous visage that his ultimate awakening from his half-dead life begins to blossom like the rose he envisions. Angela becomes his obsession, and in his obsession he gains a new appreciation for himself and revives his fleeting youth. Now for Annette Bening - great airhead! She's the perfect bitch when the situation calls, but aside from Carolyn's constant henpecking towards Lester, she's an insecure and melodramatic woman on the brink of insanity. She too suffers from the maddening simplicity of every day life, seeking her comfort in her social status and professional success. She eventually pursues her cure in the odiferous arrogance and professional guidance of real estate mogul Buddy Kane, a man with equal insecurities who cleverly conceals them behind a Mentadent smile and pricey designer suits. Watching from the sidelines with a constant sneer and a quiet, festering hatred for her parents is the self-loathing Jane (Thora Birch). I remember Thora from films that catered to a younger generation, notably the portrayal of a young Melanie Griffith in "Now and Then", and the endearing Dani in "Hocus Pocus". She has grown into a talented woman with the magnificent performance she gives in this movie as Lester and Carolyn's pessimistic teenage daughter. She befriends our beloved, self-involved Angela, hanging among Hayes' pungently supercilious aura with not a care for her own image until Ricky Fitts (Wes Bentley), her new next-door neighbor, fosters an innocent obsession towards her. The infatuation soon blossoms into a delicate romance, deep and meaningful. In their love for each other, you see the modern cliches of America's definition of beauty melt away into a more profound look at the human soul and all of life surrounding it. This movie is an excellent character study and a delicate look at what lies in the human heart. I would like to remind those that didn't really understand the content and gave it poor reviews because of their incomprehension that misunderstanding is the most common reason for disliking. I beg of you to watch this film again with an open mind, disregarding the somewhat strange anecdotes and scenes that were chosen to remain in the film, but with good reason. You will begin to see its light, and I hope it will touch you like a film never has...
Rating:
Summary: AMERICAN BEAUTY is not skin-deep
Review: Dysfunctional family ordeals and a sinking American dream of the ideal life has constantly appeared in films like Lee Ang's THE ICE STORM and now the AMERICAN BEAUTY. The film is one of the most artistically accomplished - silent and naunced - dissecting each character like peeling the petals of the rose. Kevin Spacey is unequivocally the scene-stealer with stealthy emotions - from a deranged husband, a triumph and a tender father - his expression shows it all. Annette Benning is energized as the money-grubbing wife Carolyn who is disillusioned by the pursue of money. Voyeurism and homosexuality is reflected with clear-cutting honesty. The exquisite thing about the movie is that it holds surprises - and it is not overblown. It taps into the secret heart of many like Lester in search of his wasted life back. He sees his daughter's friend (Mena Suvari) as the part of youth remote from him; the love in Carolyn long lost to the American dream of riches and glory and his daughter Thora Birch is alienated from him altogether. The characters are dimensional - each has his story to tell - the weird neighbour played by Wes Bentley despite his mental history is ironically the most astute of all. His family is shattered by a disgraced father and a silenced mother. The tragedy is heartfelt and poignant. Boosted by a haunting score and a screenplay from Alan Ball, Sam Mendes injects this film with exquisite beauty. It is textured and invites the audience to look closer into the deep psyche of the characters as well as a hovering reflection of their own inner hearts. American Beauty evokes innocence and an understated tone of maturity in the script. Despite all its harsh ugliness inside, it is indubitably the most savagely tender and beautiful film in recent times.
Rating:
Summary: The Dark Side of Comedy!
Review: American Beauty is one of those rare movies that tend to make a world love it. This movie is a comedy first off, but a dark one at that. You can watch it and realize what a great movie this has become. Upon viewing the trailer to the movie, I thought it would be just a sexy raunchy film with just some special effect (the flower petals) and a bland storyline. However, upon viewing the actual movie, I was shocked and blown away at just how good this movie is. An cast that really brings the movie to life and a plot that will have some thinking and others offended. The movie is more than just what most think, it's really about the hidden beauty within the world, within ourselves and within our minds. But don't let that fool you, the movie is funny all the same, but smart funny, not fart fart funny. Probably the best feature about the movie is Kevin Spacey and his role as a man simply wanting the younger beauty the world has to offer, but this has gotten many offended, but it's very interesting as to how he deals with it, it's also hilarious. Keeping the ending a secret, you'll suprised what is to come of this tale. Buy it, I can almost promise you that you'll love it.
Rating: 
Summary: This Just Shows How Low Movies Today Will Get!
Review: Though the acting & directing were suberb the plot was crude, disgusting, & not a movie to spend one cent on. My brother, friends, & cousin went to see this movie as a group because of the great ratings. By the middle of the movie we had lost three members of our group who had bought tickets to another film. The film which was originally a teen flick turned out to be a 5 time Academy Award winner & went to become one of the most hated movies of 99. If I had a choice to watch water trickle down a porch or this movie I choose the water.
Rating:
Summary: Its all about frustration in America.
Review: The frustration of a man, that sees his life going wasted, feeling trapped, trying to gain back the lost time. The frustration of a woman, of the american woman who always looks for reasons to break down, erupt and escape. The frustration of the children that get raised by frustrated parents. America, you deserved this one. You better take a closer look.
Rating:
Summary: I Want my Money Back
Review: This is one of the worst movies of all time. Slow-moving, idiotic, on and on. I suspect that whoever loves this movie probably lives in a similarly dysfuntional family. Save your money, don't buy this. In fact, don't even rent it.
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