American beauty

Doc Tiessen · Intern Joined: 27 Sep 2004 Posts: 161 Gender:

Anybody saw American beauty? I liked it very much. What do you think of that movie? Did it really reflect something deep about America?

Diversity is Good!

Mr. Pessimistic · Posted: Tue Feb 01, 2005 9:41 pm Post subject: Re: American beauty

Doc:

This was a very good movie. To me is speaks to the trend in this country toward phoniness, materialism and our obsession with "beauty", but not Beauty in every aspect of life, which leads to the disfunction of the family and the subjugation of the self.

I have not seen this in a while, so I cannot recall much by way of examples, but the part with the plastic bag movie was a powerful scene. The bag was free and real. There is much to be said of the fact that a plastic bag can suffocate, yet here it is breathing the air and being uplifted by it.

Mr. P.

The one thing of which I am positive is that there is much of which to be negative - Mr. P.

I came to get down, I came to get down. So get out ya seat and jump around - House of Pain

HEY! Is that a ball in your court? - Mr. P

I came to kick ass and chew Bubble Gum...and I am all out of Bubble Gum - They Live, Roddy Piper

capecodindependant · Almost a regular Joined: 21 Aug 2003 Posts: 40 Gender:

I loved AB.I was funny as hell.
One of the best films I've seen in over 5 years or in the past 5.

marti1900 · Senior Joined: 14 Mar 2005 Posts: 354 Gender:

I don't know about the depth of this movie's portrayal of America, but I thought it tapped into that underlying strata of angst and depression and the desire for a quick fix that seems to exist these days.

Frankly, I thought the blowing bag scene was just a bit artsy and contrived, but that's just my old lady 'been there, seen that' perspective.

And how can we not love Keven Spacey's work.

Marti in Mexico

MadArchitect · Posted: Tue Mar 15, 2005 1:37 am Post subject: Re: American beauty

Never been a fan of Spacey, to be honest. Not that he's a bad or even mediocre actor, but I haven't liked very many of his movies, for various reasons. And he seems, to me, to tend towards snotty, self-important characters, which limits his range a great deal. Occasionally it leads to good effect, though, as with his turns in "Seven" and "Glengarry Glen Ross".

marti1900 · Senior Joined: 14 Mar 2005 Posts: 354 Gender:

You didn't love him in 'The Usual Suspects'? Or 'K-Pax'? Maybe that snotty, self-important thing is what I like about him. He carries it off so well. Of course, maybe he is not carrying it off at all, it really IS him. LOL

Marti in Mexico

Loricat · Graduate Student Joined: 03 Mar 2005 Posts: 446 Gender:

I enjoyed AB, but I saw it right after a friend of mine had led me through a bunch of Billy Wilder films, and AB seemed to be rather derivative -- especially in the "this is the year I died" opening. Watch Sunset Boulevard for the best rendition of that style of beginning.

And about Spacey -- I think he does creepy very well, but he does have his personality that seems to bleed into many of his leading man characters. I think he's better in the background.

Lori

"All beings are the owners of their deeds, the heirs to their deeds."

MadArchitect · Posted: Tue Mar 15, 2005 1:54 pm Post subject: Re: American beauty

You didn't love him in 'The Usual Suspects'? Or 'K-Pax'?

I knew the twist going into "The Usual Suspects", so that movie really fell flat for me. Spacey's acting was fine, I suppose, but I felt that there were times when he overdid the schtick. Only saw bits and pieces of "K-Pax". I'll watch just about anything Jeff Bridges is in, but that one just looked a little too fey for my taste.


	HOME	ABOUT	BOOKS	VIDEOS	TRANSCRIPTS	LINKS	BLOGS	DONATE	CONTACT