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

“Changes” in characters actually cause halation

The horror of ``American Beauty'' is that it rearranges the definitions of family and common sense, but each character has human ``emotions,'' and each character depicts a drama of ``change.'' Also, characteristic. It is "normal" to depict the growth or deterioration of characters, but in this work, the sense of distance is created by depicting the suffering and changes of people who are outside of our empathy. The indescribable eeriness, such as "disgust" and "disgust," will only increase, leaving the audience with very mixed feelings. The beginning is structured like a black comedy, but the situation gradually becomes ``unfunny''.

When Lester hears Angela telling Jane, ``I'll sleep with your daddy if I get some muscle,'' he runs into the garage, pulls out some dumbbells, and starts working out. And completely naked. Then he starts working out and starts to feel alive, but his motives are very impure. What's even more frightening is that he doesn't have any moral conflicts about ``having lust for his daughter's classmate.'' From the beginning, only the audience has a sense of morality.

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After that, Lester misbehaves at a party he attends with his wife, and then ``intentionally'' says something problematic at work, gets him fired, and then goes to interview for a part-time job at a burger shop. If this were depicted in a high-tension manner like in `` Fight Club '' (1999), it would still have a strong sense of fiction, but it is written in a calm manner, and the audience's hearts are filled with unfathomable fear. I'll go.

The climax is the scene where he indulges in masturbation while his wife is sleeping next to him. Lester fantasizes about Angela's lewd appearance and indulges in "things", but when Caroline witnesses him, he becomes furious. He blames the common lack of communication between husband and wife, and when his wife objects, he retorts, ``Come on then! I'm fine with it.'' The open exchange in this area was shocking, and it would be difficult to understand it completely, including from the thought process. With Kevin Spacey's powerful performance, Lester is sure to come across as some kind of monster.

Caroline, played in a hysterical voice by the famous actress Annette Bening, also goes through some dangerous changes, such as repeatedly having an affair with a business competitor and shooting a gun to relieve stress. The red rose that is symbolically depicted in the play, American Beauty, was raised by her, and while showing that ``American beauty'' has fallen to this point, she says, ``Even if a rose is beautiful, what is the root? It also has the meaning of "I don't know what's going on." By the way, as for Kevin Spacey and Annette Bening, director Mendes' wishes from the beginning have come true.

As Jane and Ricky develop a romantic relationship, they begin to express their feelings to others. Jane begins to object to Angela's bragging, and Ricky, who has been punished by his father, also takes measures to mentally corner her.

By the way, Jake Gyllenhaal and Seth Green were also considered for the role of Ricky. Wes Bentley, who made his breakthrough with this film, has continued to steadily advance his career, appearing in Mission Impossible: Fallout (18). Allison Janney, who played Ricky's mother Barbara and made a strong impression in her short scene, won an Oscar for `` I, Tonya' ' (17). Chris Cooper, the famous actor who plays the father Fitz, also won an Oscar for Adaptation (2002) after appearing in this film.

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Zora Birch, who played the role of Jane, received high acclaim for this film and Ghost World (2001). Mina Suvari, who played the role of Angela, which can be said to be the core of the work, is not only an actress but also a model and a fashion designer. Kirsten Dunst, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Brittany Murphy, and Katie Holmes were considered for the role of Angela, but they all turned them down due to the intense nature of their roles.

In terms of change, director Mendes made Jane's makeup go from dark to light, and vice versa for Angela. It visually represents how the relationship between the two people reverses as the story progresses.

Looking at it this way, you can see that the strong themes and characters were strongly supported by a strong cast. This is true of any film in history, but I can't help but feel the strangeness of the combination. The large roses were probably able to bloom because they had the highest quality soil, seedlings, and fertilizer. The manic scent that ``American Beauty'' emits continues to confuse and taunt those who approach it.

Text: SYO

Born in 1987. After The Graduate from Tokyo Gakugei University, he worked at a film magazine editorial production site and a film information site before becoming a film writer. Works on a wide range of topics including interviews, reviews, columns, event appearances, and recommendation comments. Contributed to ``CINEMORE'', ``FRIDAY Digital'', ``Fan's Voice'', ``Eiga.com'', etc. Twitter「syocinema」

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"American Beauty"

Blu-ray: 2,381 yen + tax / DVD: 1,429 yen + tax

Publisher: NBCUniversal Entertainment

TM & (C) 1999 DREAMWORKS LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. TM & (C) 2012 DreamWorks LLC. All Rights Reserved.

* Information as of November 2019.

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