``American Beauty'' An absurd home drama that erases the definition of ``normal.''

An absurd production in which he himself ``reveals the ending'' at the beginning.

"American Beauty" is set in modern-day Chicago, America. Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey) works at an advertising agency, his wife Caroline (Annette Bening) runs a real estate business, and their daughter Jane (Thora Birch) appears to be a happy family. However, they do not reveal their true feelings to each other and live their days in isolation. To borrow the words of Lester in the movie, we are in a state of ``a fake commercial about us being ordinary people''.

However, a change comes to a life filled with resignation. Lester falls in love with Jane's best friend Angela (Mina Suvari) at first sight. From that day forward, his life becomes a mixture of delusion and reality, and Lester goes on a rampage in an attempt to impress Angela...

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The film simply ``stands by'' listlessly as the relationship between these three people, who had barely maintained the semblance of a family, falls apart, never encouraging any sympathy. There is no catharsis at all, and the ending is revealed within the first minute or two by saying, ``I'll die in less than a year.'' It is a structure that spreads disgust in the hearts of the viewers. In fact, star Chris Cooper was reluctant to appear in the film at first because he couldn't accept the negative storyline (he decided to appear at the suggestion of his wife).

It is an outlier even among family films, with no redemption or compassion. The aftertaste is also the worst. However, to my dismay, the quality is extremely high. From the shocking first cut in which a daughter requests the murder of her father, director Sam Mendes, who would go on to create the epoch-making film Skyfall (12), stands out for his sharp and cunning observational eye and direction. .

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Director Mendes has had a spectacular career as a stage director, winning the Laurence Olivier Award, and this film marks his debut as a film director. It's a masterpiece that suddenly won an Oscar. By the way, one of the people who recommended Mendes to be a director was Steven Spielberg, who was impressed after seeing Mendes in a play. His production company, Hidden Figures, is producing the film (it's ironic that it starts with the Hidden Figures logo, even though it's not a dream-like movie).

I'm hesitant to call it ``interesting'' just because of the content, but the twisted reality is that it's a rare masterpiece without even looking at the awards it's received. This reality itself seems to indicate the ``sick normality'' that the work encompasses. If your style consciously incorporates ``sarcasm'' and ``poison'' like directors Michael Hanke and Todd Solondz, or ``depression'' like director Lars von Trier, you should also prepare for this. I could face it, but even that is not allowed.

Starting with the self-spoilers at the beginning, this film depicts everything as ``something that should happen.'' This sensibility, which is somewhat allegorical and reminiscent of Samuel Beckett's theater of the absurd, can be said to be director Mendez's characteristic personality.

Sam Mendes, a theater veteran, creates a sense of “physical” distance.