Rating: 
Summary: Once is not nearly enough.
Review: The film is extremely good and it's evident. Less evident are the connotations masked by the title. Of course American Beauty is about American Dream. But there is a lot more to that film.It's about the time allotted to to every human being's life and sometimes when the time is over you can go on living for several decades more. Kevin Spacey's character somehow feels his time is over. Nothing can stand between him and his death. The sentiment is not exclusively American. There is a lot of well-off communities in Europe, Australia, etc. The main character is middle class but that does not mean it's just a satire of that social strata. Middle class man is not blessed with a need to crave for daily bread - the struggle that makes all existential quests look like something extra. With all the basic needs satisfied and no time-consuming hobbies acquired what's left to the 42-year old male? To provide for the family? But the wife if aggressively self-reliant. Make the daughters future bright? The little cutie is just enjoying the hardships of the transitional age and she does not give a damn about the parents' problems. Having problems is her privilege, it comes with the age. The sexual urge is taken care of daily. With no outside parties involved. So he dies at the beginning of the movie and then just enjoys the afterlife - that's Lester's big secret from everyone. He is dead and it's such a joy to kick the pillars of the proper middle life\middle class exiistence! The proper job? Here goes the job - and he gets these $ 60 000 just to demonstrate himself he can do that. Welcome to the joys of blackmailing. Then the wife gets an earful of truth. The lame reuniting effort on that too-expensive-to-lie-on sofa is nothing more than going through the motions. The resulting sentiment is - Ah, to hell with that! - Why the restraint in taking the precious gift of the daughter's girlfriend? I think it's too meaningful to his taste - he's already had her in his dreams in much more romantic settings. And since he is dead anyway these encounters are no less valid than the more demanding physical act ahead. He is not living, he is getting rid of life. Lester's pranks are funny and enjoyable but very unlikely to carry him through the next few decades. He is that dancing plastic bag from neighbour boy's video - he is moving, inflated by the wind, raising and falling, there is no meaning in this, no future. He is just as fragile and not caring. And there is no any value in prolonging that dance. So he gladly accepts the bullet that makes his death more evident to the family and the general public. So there are layers beyond the American middle class tragedy - and the very funny tragedy that is. Now about the title. It's open to interpretations. And that's intentional. Americans are fond of looking in a mirror, of having American psyche and American way of life scrutinized. They consider European existential dramas in European settings boring - and very often they are. The rest of the world is very attentive to the things American - millions will come to see. Now Beauty. Whose beauty? The beauty of what? Some will think that's the beauty of the blonde bombshell, some will vote for the beauty Ricky Fitts sees in everyday life. Besides, beauty is an universally appreciated word, the natural attention magnet. Join American with Beauty and you have the mantra-like combination worthy of chanting at the Oscars and Golden Globes ceremonies, the combination anyone is willing to elaborate upon. Sam Mendes likes to make use of things that has already helpend him to become famous. It's so nice to concentrate on a girl's navel at the film's posters and DVD covers - just like on Nicole Kidman's lower abdomen in the director's Broadway hit. The film is classic. It's multilayered and so richly textured you are guaranteed a discovery with every viewing. The acting is splendid, the casting - superb. There are no faces we still love but are tired of seeing. That's definetely a DVD material. Can't wait to get the disc!
Rating:
Summary: Why one, two & three stars? Because:
Review: It's obvious. They all expected to see American Pie. Check the cover on the way out of the video store, people! Sam Mendes crafted a cinematic gem. Hollywood hasn't seen the likes of this kind of motion picture in years. He masterfully directs veteran actors Spacey and Bening in what has to be the best performances of their careers. Chris Cooper's (Matewan, Lone Star) Colonel Fitts character brings an unexpected twist to this intense story with chilling results. There's many moments, but the scene where Mrs. Fitts (played by Allison Janney) bids her son goodbye is frighteningly weird. What a brief but stunning scene. A film with a this kind of kick is rare. It's a thinking person's movie, not for the immature or impatient. Disconnect the phone, put the damn popcorn away, and watch this without any distractions.
Rating: 
Summary: BRILLIANT ODDITIES OF SUBURBAN LIFE
Review: Outstanding look at suburban existence,new millenium style. Benning is glorious as the Martha Stewart-like, neglectful working mother who is more concerned about her prize roses than her misfiring family life. Spacey exemplifies a belated return to youth, relishing even his boyhood burger stand job as a counter-balance to the baloney-filled, useless telemarketing position from which he bribed his way out. The kids find dashing rebuke for the alientation of parents and society in their dreams of boiking men, running away, and filming dead people. Stellar performance by all involved, but particularly Thora Birch as a wayward, misunderstood teen who eventually falls for the "geek boy" next door, the only miscreant that can understand her. Deducted: one star. Reason: Mendes screenplay, just a tad too far left of true suburban life; the charasters are flawed beyond reality, making not one of them the redeemed soul that would have sparked a sense of believability to the film. Four Stars
Rating:
Summary: 'Beauty' Shines In All Directions
Review: After a 5-month wait, I finally saw the movie, and boy was it worth it. The script is great, the cinematography astounding, great directing, and the greatest performance of a cast. All of the are amazing, but boy does Kevin Spacey do wonders. I have never seen him funnier, and he gave the movie so much life. He is too often ignored by the Academy, and I pray that he does not get robbed of what is rightfully hison Oscar night.
Rating:
Summary: American Beauty: A true masterpiece
Review: I entered the cinema thinking I was going to sit down with my already half eaten popcorn and view another typical american film. I sat down, and within the first five minutes I was hooked. At fist I thought it was a teen film but Kevin Spacey sure changed my mind in the beginning scenes. The well directed film is of course set in a rich suburb of America. Spacey(father)and Benning(mother)argue throughout the entire film about topics most families try to avoid. Their daughter(Thora Birch)plays a 16 yr old girl with a lot on her mind, worrying about her parents and the guy next door. Thora Birch(All I want for Christmas, Now and Then, Alaska)has been almost completely ignored by other critics. I have seen her in every movie she has appeared in and she usually gets very little credit for the supportive rolls she has played. Not much of her is mentioned in other reviews, this shocks me seeing as she has quite a strong impact on the supurb film American Beauty. Good work crew!
Rating:
Summary: Simply Amazing!
Review: I have seen quite a few movies in my time, and I can say this is one of the best. If not the best. I love it's satirical look on suburban life (being from the suburbs, it was especially funny), to it's stunning cinematography, to it's splendid performances (esp. Mr. Spacey). While people definitely have their own tastes, you cannot argue with the simply magnificent scene of the plastic bag floating and it's poignant dialogue. If you aren't into "artsy" movies, or if you're against "mainstream" movies, this will satisfy everyone's tastes! Simply stated, SEE IT before it's run is up!
Rating:
Summary: EXCELLENT, well written, acted, directed...
Review: WOW! what an excellent film. Not only was the message that was portayed a wonderful thing to think about, but the acting and directing, writing and editing, etc. etc. was very, very impressive! Kevin Spacey was the person who brought everything together in this film, as he is the unsuspected victim of his daughter's boyfriend's father. The editing was superb, and no movie I've ever seen has been as creative and great as this. I think American Beauty (very suitable title) should win almost every one of its Academy Award Nominations. It deserves it. GREAT! I'm buying the DVD when it comes out!
Rating:
Summary: A film high above the rest
Review: Traditionally the intent of movies was an escape from everyday life and in turn, to take focus off the ordinary life leaving the audience happy. From my understanding, some audience members were upset over the revealing, controversal content that left some in shock. But it's about time a movie portrays life as more than a frolick through the woods and gets down to the hidden, even dark issues behind the closed doors. The movie dissects suburbia life using comedy, drama, and sadness. The Burnham family is the family of focus as the father, Kevin Spacey, re-discovers the feeling of life and joy and guards his new happiness, without a care, until his unpreventable downfall. The humor begins the day Lester(the father) speaks and does exactly what he's thinking, with no regard to manners or the responses from others. His wife, Carolyn, without the usual control, goes into a frenzy that adds to her self-inflicted stress and havic until she looses it...Meanwhile, the teenage daughter, Jane, seeks out a new companion while attempting to cope with the parents and home life she dispises. New to the screen, Wes Bentley(Ricky), shares his mysterious thoughts with Jane. He shows Jane the life and beauty behind things and how we're all surrounded with beauty but we never take the time to appreciate it. One such scene involves the filming of a bag and Ricky's breathtaking words of the bag's movement. NO JOKE, this scene rubbed off onto my mind and soul and left me with tears of joy and compassion as this character's undescribable recollection of abundance of beauty was made known. I beg one and all to experience this movie, if only for the magic contained in this small scene. What can I say-- this movie is a gem of great value and we all have the chance to see it and take a piece of it with us as we continue our own journey. PLEASE DON'T MISS THIS ONE!
Rating: 
Summary: Ummm... what is the hype?
Review: I saw this move thinking "wow this should be great" i truely didn't get what was sooo good about it, i watched it 10 times thinking maby i missed something, I DIDN'T i really think these should be burned, folks this movie is weird with a poor script it is has no one story line. I am a huge fan of movies and can at least say something nice about a movie but not this one. A WASE OF TIME!
Rating: 
Summary: More mainstream than it thinks.
Review: It seems like my opinion on this film will differ from everyone else's, but if we all agreed, how fun would that be? Right from the opening scene, we're meant to be impressed with the camcorder image of a teenage girl talking sullenly about murdering her "geek boy father". Cut next to the Father, who announces that he will be dead a year from now -- he intones this while doing something unmentionable (on Amazon) in the shower. Flashy enough for you? When the story lacks substance, wow them with "cleverness". And this story, folks, does indeed lack substance: making middle-aged suburban angst into art is beyond even the most scrupulous talents, I daresay. Therefore, we're submitted to weird tricks such as rose petals cascading from a cheerleader's blouse. Not only does this cheap trick waste time, it's dishonest: why can't we see what the Spacey character is REALLY thinking about? In my opinion, the roses thing is a cop-out; the film lacks the courage of its convictions; but who wants a NC-17 rating? No theaters screen NC-17 films, and NC-17 films never win Oscars. Kevin Spacey, despite using all his Kevin-Spacey-Shtik (droll expressions, world-weary murmur, et al.), is the character we most care about, but, as I'm intimating, no thanks to him. Considering the ponderous denouement, his facile interpretation isn't really called for -- we need a more serious performance. The other characters are cartoons: The Termagant Wife, the Spooky Teenager (there are several), the Repressed Homosexual. To finish: despite its slick attempt at "sophistication", e.g., the Floating Trash Bag, the Rose Petals, the Voice from the Grave, this is a very mainstream tale told in a surprisingly average way. Besides all that, the actors chew the scenery (Bening's blubbering, Spacey snapping his wrists as he hands over a bag of burgers). All this has been done before -- I just don't know what all the fuss is about. "American Beauty" has some merits, but it ain't no "Lolita".
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