Saw American Beauty this weekend. Hated it.
I was really surprised when I saw Rask say it's been getting good
reviews. It is a self conscious epic that I would have guessed
critics would love to hate.
The dialogue usually reminded me of the 1-act productions written
and directed by my high school classmates. The movie is all over
the place on a subject that evokes an easy response from everyone:
nobody, even suburbanites, likes the suburbia depicted in the
movie. It is easy to sit and watch smugly the frenzy underlying
the facade of tranquility, complete with manufactured symbolism
involving roses and dark red.
I saw a commercial which described it as this genration's version
of the graduate. I suspect the "this generation's" part
of that is because (i) in this movie the kids, while demented,
have it together and see the world of their parents not through a
fog but a magnifying glass that winds up being the cause of their
dementia (as one of the characters essentially says at one point).
(ii) The subject of what is, as far as any of the audience is
concerned, desired and about-to-be-consummated pedophilia is
supposed to be treated humorously. Maybe I'm too Midwestern that
way but I found it pretty damn disgusting.
Spoiler in white font: The homosexuality
dealt with at the end was particularly weak. Can there be a more
banal revelation than Chris Cooper's marine colonel, the virulent
homophobe, turning out to be gay and offing Spacey in a jealous
rage over his jilting?
But I did like that Kevin Spacey's character retreated into an
ice cream high after a tense supper. That was kinda funny. And
that the slut teenager consoles herself by saying everything that's
meant to happen does, or everything that's happens is meant to --
that was funny. This seems to be a mantra anymore in suburbia.
And another thing, were the performances good in American Beauty?
The kid Ricky was pretty good. The daughter Jane was pretty good
(a shitty and misguided choice for her name, imo -- Kyle, Madison
or Sierra would have been more appropriately hackneyed). The real
estate king was not bad. But the principals -- how challenging is
it to portray a strung out suburbanite unsatisfied with much of
anything?
Oh yeah, another spoiler: "Fuck me
your majesty" was also pretty damn funny.
Response to Review
572. Raskolnikov - 9/27/99 1:43:25
AM
Spence: solidarity, bro.
What I liked about the lead performances was the way they
presented their "masks", and what I liked about Spacey
in particular was the way he conveyed his character's evolution.
He believably portrays his character's pathetic, weak,
emasculated self-loathing, as well as his character's eventual
redemption.
But I really did hate this film, and I am not going to say
anything positive about it more than that. The performances are
not worth putting up with its misanthropic, contrived, derivitive
bullshit.
And reviews have really been stellar. Their are a handful of
naysayers, but critics and audiences have generally been
enthusiastic. Lots of Oscar buzz.
If this film looks like it is the Best Picture frontrunner, I am
cancelling my Oscar party.
573. CalGal - 9/27/99 1:47:37 AM
It's really interesting, the disconnect between people I've
talked to and the critics on this movie. I can only assume that
it's because Spacey and Benning are critical sweethearts.
574. SpenceMirrlees - 9/27/99 2:00:31
AM
Oh, I guess I didn't get redemption from Spacey's character. I
felt the evolution was of the "punctuated equilibrium"
variety, in which he just snapped, and reached a new plateau
overnight (and with a mighty lame reason for it). The character
seemed to go from one plateau to a different one. What I felt it
lacked was any build up, or tension about where the guy was going.
Not that it was Spacey's fault.
And the other thing was, I am not sure the new plateau was in any
sense higher than the one the character left. All of sudden we
have a pedophilic, image conscious version of The Dude from the
Big Lebowski. Yay. But again, not Spacey's fault, I don't think.
584. Raskolnikov - 9/27/99 8:05:48
AM
Spence: "And the other thing was, I am not sure the new
plateau was in any sense higher than the one the character left.
All of sudden we have a pedophilic, image conscious version of
The Dude from the Big Lebowski. Yay. But again, not Spacey's
fault, I don't think."
I think this is another one of the film's faults, while Spacey's
character undoubtedly experiences what the film-makers think is
"growth and redemption", it is pretty small potatoes.
As Cellar says, it basically consists of a reversion to
adolescence.
I watched Ikiru on TCM a few weeks ago (Kurosawa is TCM's
director of the month), and so it was fresh in my mind as I
watched American Beauty. Both films feature a lead character
whose impending death is announced in the opening frames, and
both films say that these characters have already been dead for
years.
But Ikiru's Takeshi Shimura earns his redemption through
selflessnes, perseverance, and humility in fighting the city
bureaucracy to get a disease-causing swampy area turned into a
children's playground. Kevin Spacey, however, (SPOILER) earns his
redemption through buying a muscle car, telling off his wife,
working out, and refusing to nail a 16-year old girl.
I am amazed by what evidently passes for profound.
