| 1999 was littered with great films that were heavy in the hunt for the prized Best Picture Academy Award. The films were, The Insider, The Green Mile, The Cider House Rules, The Sixth Sense and this, the winner of the coveted award, American Beauty. Not only did it win that prize but it was heralded as one of the best films of all time. The film is number two on the Internet Movie Database and all that, but what truly makes it a great film? Well key to the film are the performances. The two love struck teens, played by Wes Bentley and Thora Birch glimmer under their subtle performances. Then there's Annete Benning's performance as the real-estate/crazy mother of Thora Birch, and Chris Cooper (who got robbed of a nomination at Oscar time) as the gay-hating military father. The capper of all this is the performance of Lester Burnham, by Kevin Spacey, who rightfully won the Oscar and who also portrayed our "hero" like no other actor could have. The story is artfully shown and in effect is a beautiful art film about the beauty of life. The story revolves around Lester's travelling from the depths of a humdrum life to acheiving everything he wanted to. The cinematography by Conrad Hall is beautifully shot and it just proves that a great film can be shot. The movie displays it's subtle nuances through the camera in ways that haven't been done in many years. It's only a shame that it had to end. | |