Welcome Message/American Beauty...

I started this blog in order to write movie reviews for the average person. It is my belief that most reviews out there are mostly aimed to please other movie critics, directors, or newspaper editors. In short, I'll simply be putting my thoughts out there for whoever wants an honest opinion about movies.

The first movie I chose to review for this blog is called American Beauty. I chose this movie because the film was new to me. I was recently given quite a few DVDs by my father (whose taste differs greatly from my own), so I wanted to watch a few of them whenever I got the chance.

Starring in the film: Kevin Spacey, Annette Benning, and Thora Birch.
Rating: R

American Beauty is basically a film all about the desperately mundane life of an average middle-aged man. I am generally reluctant to watch those artsy, five-time academy award winning films because they're usually hard to follow. Movies like this are often so cutting edge and "brilliant" that they fail to entertain. This movie, however, surprised me. I found that there's a lot going on in it that the average person can relate to. Middle-aged man, or not, everyone can identify with the drudgery of every-day life. Although this movie takes some crazy turns, it's refreshingly honest. It presents people as they actually are. Most movies are about characters who have a few major flaws; this movie is all about characters who are driven by their flaws. The people in this film are often possessed by their impulses and insecurities. Something I loved about the movie is the fact that they made oddness seem beautiful. The writer presented the idea in the film that the world is full of beauty that most people just fail to notice.

One thing I didn't like about the film was the fact that at times it was a bit of a stretch. No matter how much Kevin spacey ran around the block, there is no way that his daughter's friend was ever going to sleep with him. Another thing was a particular scene in which Thora Birch and her neighbor sit there watching a video of a plastic bag blowing in the wind. It may be mildly entertaining for a couple of minutes, but I fail to see the beauty in litter. Maybe this just means I'm devoid of profound thought, who knows. Which brings me to my next topic...

People who won't like this film:
This film is not for everyone. This movie was directed by a man named Sam Mendez who comes from a theater background; his prior experience with stage direction has hugely affected the way this film was shot. Some people may find the visual techniques he uses a little strange and distracting.

This is not a movie to watch with the kids. There are many adult themes that some people would find offensive. There's nudity and some of the more shocking themes include: adultery, drug-use, and under-aged sex.

People who would enjoy this film:
People who enjoy characterization or the subtle nuances of human nature would definitely enjoy this film (as this film is basically the character study of an average middle-aged man).