American Beauty
American Beauty is an extraordinary film. When it first came out in the cinema the thing I remember most about the trailers were the now iconic falling and carefully placed rose petals, accompanied by the haunting delicately played piano music by Thomas Newman. Although I didn't go to the cinema to see it I eventually saw it when it was broadcast on TV and it's a film that has stuck with me since.
American Beauty whose script was written by Alan Ball, was originally written for the stage (a fact which you'll find out by watching the extras on this DVD) but was later picked up by theatre director Sam Mendes and was then adapted to a film script. But by transforming it into celluiod, it didn't loose any of its big theatrical scope as the cinematography is amazing and the camera allows the audience to pick up on little touches that may otherwise have been unnoticed or even omitted in theatre. The film begins with a panoramic shot gliding through an average suburban street in America, the plinky plonky piano music begins to play and Lester Burnham tells us in narration that he is already dead and so the film is the story of how he died. But of course the film is about much more than that. Lester works in a dead end job, his life has become stuck in a rut, and his problems are only added by his dysfunctional family. He has a wife who works in real estate, but who has somehow lost her spark, becoming anally retentive and manic, he also has a troubled teenage daughter, lacking in self esteem and looking to belong. When Lester meets his daughter's attractive friend, he feels as if he has finally woken up and so begins his quest to change his life and forfeit his erotic fantasies.
This thriller really makes you think about how many of us are merely fooling ourselves into thinking we are happy, people get stuck in a rut, forget who they are and loose themselves. For a great thriller, buy this DVD.
