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Over the years, many films had a dark look at the supposedly perfect ideal of a white picket fence, a little house, and family. For many, the American dream of suburban life. For others, however, it can become a nightmare twisted unfulfilled desires, the needs of the oppressed, and shattered hopes. Because of the need to keep up appearances, a serene facade often hides ground for dysfunction, anxiety, and hypocrisy. Directors like David Lynch have made this their playground. Lynch, in particular, delights in depicting the root causes of social disintegration in the margins - and it does so at the autopsy. American Beauty is not as dark as Lynch project, as it allows the small moments of redemption, but mines the same general area.

If there is a rule in American cinema, that all families who are not named Brady to be ineffective, then the American beauty does not violate it. Most adolescents believe that their parents are strange, but in the case of the Burnham Jane (Thora Birch, whose biggest previous big screen role in Alaska), the state of reality as far as it is a state of mind. Her father, Lester (Kevin Spacey), suffering through a mid-life crisis. At the age of 42, he became indifferent to everything. “I, my wife and daughter I think this gigantic loser,” he confesses at one point, “And they are right. something I lost. always I do not believe that this is sedated.” Meanwhile, the Jane’s mother, Carolyn (Annette Bening), the cost of such places, the status that it has become a “bloodless, money-grubbing freak” who does not have time for any form of intimacy. Her credo: “You can not count on anyone other than themselves.” She and Lester still dead in their marriage for their daughters, and for that, they will look normal to the outside world. At the moment of clarity, Lester acknowledges: “Our marriage only show - commercial, as we normally when we anything but.”

American Beauty is the ways in which these characters grow, and the catalysts that break them from their loved ones-catatonic existences. In addition, about emotional paralysis that comes with age and security. We take refuge in the usual, and, after several years of change becomes a terrifying thought. Happiness, the purpose of youth is replaced by a desire for comfort artificial that goes through the numbing sameness of repetition. Loveless marriages, as Lester and Carolyn in existence because neither partner has the desire to escape. And children, they believe that they have protection, remaining together often the biggest victims of their eyes.

Lester in awakening prompted by two events. The first of these is a potential unemployment. First, Leicester is that possibility with horror - no money, how can he pay the mortgage and send his daughter to college? But the way he dissects the situation, in his view, he sees how his release may be - are exempted from duties, it should not be a slave to create. Then there is Jane’s best friend, Angela (Mena Suvari), an attractive teenager who captures his attention, and it arouses sexual interest. Lester desire to have this girl (a necessity that borders on obsession) reawakens his long-deceased libido.

While Lester is going through a full reconstruction of his personality and views on life, Carolyn view changing too. Frustrated her relationship (or lack thereof) with her husband, she begins to deal with one other real estate agent who calls himself “The King” (Peter Gallagher). Although her sexual relationship with King is not a lot, it reduces Carolyn tolerance for what it regards as his indolence on the part of Leicester.

Then there is a sullen Jane, who is caught between the two of them. Dissatisfied with her appearance, she is saving for breast augmentation surgery (something it clearly does not need). As a movie progresses, it develops unusual relationship with Ricky Fitts (Wes Bentley), the boy next door. He views life through a video camera, and when he first trains his lens on Jane, she nonplused. After a while, but, in her view, flattered, and after a particularly violent encounter with her parents, she slowly undresses in front of a window, while Ricky hours. Ricky in his own problems - his mother (Allison Janney), almost withdrew from life, and his father (Chris Cooper) is an ex-Marine neo-Nazis, who represents his son urine analysis for drugs every six months. Meanwhile, Jane has also had to deal with Angela growing fascination with the possibility of sleeping with Lester - one that her outrages.

American Beauty is the first feature film directed by Sam Mendes, who has extensive experience in theater, but also shows that many sureness veteran filmmakers could not match. At times, causing elements Todd Solondz ‘Happiness and controversial Ang Lee brilliant Ice Storm, American Beauty weds compelling drama with black comedy. Film nature of the initiative, but the three parties developed so skilled that we are drawn to them for the whole two hours working time. Spacey, Bening, birch and give all kinds of top notches, performances that deserve (but not always) be considered at Oscar time. Lester Spacey in American Beauty may be in the narrator, but through low-key image, which transmits all angst and confusion of adolescence especially bad experience makes Jane Birch movie emotional focal point.

If there is the disadvantage of American beauty in the way that the story is. Spacey in the narrative voice effectively kills a lot of narrative tension, when during the opening scene, he showed the movie ending. This approach often forgivable if there is a compelling reason for its sharp, but this is not the case here. In fact, the use of the right to vote, allows American beauty to close the exhibit with more than necessary. We should not be told, for example, that one of the points the film is that we must learn to savor every moment of life, and see all the hidden beauty in the world offer.

Mendes and cinematographer Conrad L. Hall add some excellent camera work, especially when it comes to the closure of businesses. In most movies, we rarely notice this kind of shot because he used indiscriminately. However, the American beauty, it serves a specific purpose of providing understand the mentalities. There are many businesses close in this film, and few (if any) are used for different purpose banal shot selection. And Thomas Newman dynamic, playful score compliments the picture effective visual composition.

American Beauty is not the way to the cinema trailblaze still untouched territory, but his presentation of the brightest characters in interesting situations, makes history as fresh. Partly because it is not a complete downer, partly because he did not deceive the viewers, American Beauty emotionally satisfying. There, that sense of poignancy at the end, but also the feeling that we are on an incredible journey through the life and soul of the three perfectly-realized characters. In the year that can boast a few truly memorable films, Mendes can stake claim along with similar Kubrick and Egoyan as one whose cinematic vision problems and entertains.

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