A scenic suburban town, the streets lined with maple trees, the first shot of the movie American Beauty, is very placid and looking harmless. The image is a very desirable one for any town. But below this camouflage of living in decency, one can feel the tense palpitations, a fearfulness and an imbalance. Beauty is skin deep, they say, but American Beauty pokes through the flesh of American society and probes its soul.
Sam Mendes, the debutant director, very fresh from his experience of theatrical direction in Great Britain, holds the reins with utmost exhilarating mastery. He paints on the canvas of the silver screen, our world, populated by people who are degenerated mentally, emotionally and spiritually. He has developed the character and the plot line very well, wherein you can feel the blend of comedy with an honestly painful drama. Alan Ball’s screenplay has a very solid core written with truth, clarity and a lethal accuracy without any melodrama.
Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey) is forty-two years old and he is a spent force with his white collared job which he is fed up of. He describes himself as a chronic loser and is totally alienated from his wife, Carolyn Burnham (Annete Bening) and daughter, Jane Burnham (Thora Birch). Carolyn is driven by material pursuits and appearances, quite perverse in her approach. Jane, having forgotten the art of smiling is burnt out and always dreaming of implants of bodily parts. To add to the pitifulness of this family, they have new neighbours next door who are even worse. The father, Colonel Fitts (Chris Cooper) is too conservative, abusive and enforces military discipline. His wife is a moving android and spends her time in woolgathering. Their son, Ricky (Wes Bently), is a rebel, a drug peddler, and voyeuristic and has a video camera ready to shoot other’s privacies. The only contented people in the neighbourhood are the gay pair, Jim and Jim (Scot Bakula and Sam Robards).
Enter the self proclaimed American Beauty Angela Hayes (Mena Suvari) who is Jane’s best friend. She advocates her sermon, “there is nothing worse in life than being ordinary”. Lester spots her in a basket ball game an indulges in a series of very beautifully filmed fantasies that drive him lustfully crazy, and he hatches plans to be in bed with her. To impress the Lolita of his fantasies he quits his job, starts lifting weights, jogs and buys a 1975 Pontiac Firebird. He smokes weed with Ricky. The more Lester tries to close the gap between him and his wife and daughter, the more exiled he becomes. He doesn’t understand that he is losing everything dear and precious in life. Kevin Spacey gives life to the character Lester with brilliance and platitude. Ricky finds solace in the arms of Jane; there is a glare of sorrow in his eyes and a deep sense of pathos in his words.
The ugly side of a decaying American family is truly portrayed by Mendes. Mendes and cinematographer Conrad L have presented a visually astounding film with the images of a mundane urban life. The fantasy shots are exemplary. The interplay between shadow and light is exquisite. The showing of a floating plastic grocery bag, perfectly symbolizes the metaphor for joy. And Wes Bently’s monologue is straight from the heart of Alan Ball.
The movie changes its mood in a minute from hilarious to heartbreaking. Kevin Spacey has done one of his finest performances with a natural exhibition of human emotions. The way he uses his eyes is to be emulated by the young and budding actors. There is always a mischievous glow in his eyes, full of scorn and helplessness. Bening as his wife has excelled in every scene combining humour, frustration and agony. Mena Suvari as the Beauty and Lester’s heartthrob shows lot of promise.
American Beauty is not like other domestic dramas. It is not a satiric comedy, or drama or an art film. It is a film of contrasts, a majestic masterpiece that not only describes what is wrong with our world, but also hints at how we can mend it. In every neighbourhood of this world, we can find ultra modern and deep-to-the-core conservatives, where they never bother to know each other.
The moral of the movie is.... Let us train ourselves to hold on to the beautiful things in our lives, to be wise enough to seek them in places we generally overlook.
Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder.......
Happy Viewing!!!