American Beauty (actors: C. Spacey, A. Bening, T. Birch, W. Bentley) is Sam Mendes's debut full-length work done in an amazingly powerful way. It is no coincidence that this film was awarded five Oscars. There are some difficulties in determining the genre politics of the picture. Film critics called the film a social satire, philosophical parable, drama and even melodrama. It is so complex and individual in the perception of the film “American Beauty”. The actors who took part in the filming are unanimous in their opinion, they claim that they starred in the tragicomedy.
Plot
The plot of the film is quite simple and even in a sense banal. The beginning of the film for some viewers caused a really sad feeling. According to the story, the main character Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey) at 42 years old feels like a hopeless loser, tired of life. A man hates his work, his spouse, and cannot find mutual understanding with his daughter (Torah Birch). He is not able to hypocrite further, the hero craves change. A certain impetus to his adventures is several events: a homophobic colonel with a son selling marijuana settles in the house next door, and a sexy simpleton, the same age as his daughter Angela (Mina Suvari), frequented them. The girl immediately turned Lester's head. A man begins to smoke, while simultaneously trying to play sports and changes his prestigious position in the company to work in a roadside cafeteria. The hero seems that he is happy. At the same time, his wife finds a lover, and his daughter reflects on how wonderful it would be if someone killed her father.
Love and beauty
The name of the film “American Beauty” (the actors vied with each other in a media interview) was no coincidence. Dominant, beauty and love pass through the red line through the entire plot of the film. Nevertheless, the picture also affects many other important problems: the conflict of fathers and children, the infamous midlife crisis, the falsity and hypocrisy on which relations are built in society and in a single family. In the film, the ratio of content and form is perfectly sustained, the picture is multi-layered both in semantic and in the plot plan. The film “American Beauty” is favorably distinguished by good directing and verified script by Alan Ball, a wonderful acting, of course, first of all, Kevin Spacey. His hero invariably evokes the sympathy of the viewer, although his image is quite controversial. It is worth noting the professional work of cameraman Conrad L. Hall: those episodes when the shooting goes as if on behalf of Ricky is a real find.
Cold perfectionist
Spouse of the protagonist Caroline Burnham was played by four-time Academy Award nominee American actress Annette Bening. Her heroine, a sexually unsatisfied careerist, is embroiled in a gamble that from a cold perfectionist turns Caroline into a passionate, liberated woman. The actress is known to the viewer for the paintings: “Mars Attacks!”, “Bugsy”, “Kids Are Alright”, “Love Story”, “Women”, “Theater” and “American Beauty”. Actors, partners of Bening on the set, noted the actress's extraordinary gift for reincarnation.
Typical american teenager
Actress Torah Birch on the screen embodied Jane Burnham - the daughter of the protagonist. Her character is a typical American teenager, sometimes infantile and extremely notorious. Nevertheless, her character seems the most appropriate among all in this movie. At the time of filming, the girl was only 17, and the plot of the picture suggested episodes in which the Torah was to appear naked in front of the camera. Therefore, parents not only gave permission for their daughter to participate in the film, but also were present during the filming, along with representatives of the special commission for the protection of child labor. Birch's acting skills did not go unappreciated; she was nominated for the best supporting role in the British Academy of Film and Television Prize.
Supporting Actors
American actress Mina Suvari is known to the audience for her roles in the films American Pie and American Beauty. In the project of Sam Mendes, she played the role of a nearby nymph, fixated on her appearance. For her heroine, being ordinary is the worst thing in life. A rather controversial character.
Wes Bentley played the role of Ricky, a friend of Jane, a real chameleon. The actor is known for his roles in films such as 128 Heart Beats Per Minute, Four Feathers, The Phantom Racer, and The Hunger Games. Since 2014, he joined the casting of the television series American Horror Story.
Without hiding the essence of what is happening behind the magnificence of the visual component, Sam Mendes put the narrative of the picture on the shoulders of the actors, they all coped with the task with honor. Largely thanks to them, the film turned into a hit, secretly and unobtrusively glorifying morality, which is rare in the modern world film industry.