美國麗人影評

美國麗人AmericanBeauty英文影評

Nothingbeatsdeathforestablishingadetached,omniscientpointofview,and

fromtheverybeginningofSamMendes'shauntingandaccomplisheddebut

feature(andoneoftheyear'sfirstsignificantfilms),it'smadeclearthatitshero,

middle-aged,middle-classlostsoulLesterBurnham(KevinSpacey)isagoner.

Lester'sflashbackvoiceovernarrationhasthesardonicrenityofthebeyond,

ananarchisticwisdomasheobrveshimlfjerkingoffintheshower("This

willbethehighlightofmyday),spiesonwifeCarolyn(astridentandfragile

AnnetteBening)tendingthetitleros("Seehowherclogsmatchthehandles

ofherpruningshears?It'snotacoincidence."),orlooksinonsullenand

unhappydaughterJane(ThoraBirch,withsoulful,accusingeyes)surfingthe

Internetforbreastaugmentationsites("I'dtellherthingsgetbetter,butIdon't

wanttolie").Hiscret?"Inlessthanayear,I'llbedead....Butinan,

I'mdeadalready."

ne,who'sshownonvideosaying

herdadisa"lame-o"whoshouldbeputoutofhismiry?Carolyn,whotakes

outherfrustrationsattheshootingrange?ColonelFitts(ChrisCooper),the

newneighborwiththemilitantright-wingviewsandtheextensivefirearms

collection?Intheend,itmakesnodifference.

AsforLester'sspiritualdeath,it'soneofthemostcommonthemesinAmerican

literatureandfilm,andMendesandfirst-timewriterAlanBalldervecreditfor

,though,it'sSpacey'smovie,ashis

impeccabletiming,coysuperciliousnessandruefulknowingnessprovidethe

egimpylorheplayedinTheUsual

Suspect,hisLesterstartsoutunimpressively,embarrassinghimlfinfrontof

Spacey'sdiabolicalsmilesuggeststhathisdaysassuburbandoormatadriftina

'90supdatingofJohnCheever'swhite-collarwasteland(thefilmisreminiscent

ofthatwriter's"TheCountryHusband")willnotbeforlong.

Hisrebirthbeginsatahigh-schoolbasketballgamewhereheandCarolyn,ina

misconceivedattempttobebetterparents,watchJanerunthroughanew

ientgazechangestoardor

asthecamerasinglesoutthenubilefeaturesofAngela(vividnewcomerMena

Suvari),,however,

overplaysthemoment:aspotlightshinesonAngela,everyoneelinthegym

disappears,andsheopensherbloutounleashacascadeofropetals,the

hallmarkofLester'sfantasyquences,andoneofthefilm'slesscompelling

metaphorsforbeauty.

MendesismorerestrainedinLester'scondepiphany,whenatashindigfor

Carolyn'sreal-estatejobheslipsoutbackwithRickyFitts(WesBentley,likea

laconicChristianSlaterwithspookyprence),thecolonel'sson,who'scatering

guresframedbyablankwallandtheasphaltofaparkinglot,

thetwogetloopyandhilariousonthedopethatistherealsourceofRicky's

income."Ithinkyou'rebecomemynewpersonalhero,"saysLesterwhenRicky

quitsandtellshisintrudingbosstogetlost.

IneffectRickybecomesthefilm'shero,too,sinceheembodiestheyouth,

idealism,andpoetrythatLesterabandonedalongwithhisdreamofowninga

lsoembodiesmuchofthevisualnthatdistinguishes

thestyleofthisdirector(who'sknownforhisstrikingstageproductionsof

CabaretandTheBlueRoom).Oppresdbyhisfascistdad(oneofthefilm's

fewstereotypesthatfailstotranscenditlf),Rickybuysvideoequipmentwith

hisdopemoneyandshootsrandommomentsofmorbidbeauty,suchasadead

bird,awhirlingplasticbaginaleaf-litteredalley,andLester'sbruid-petal

'sthebeginningofacourtshipbetweenRickyandJane,andthe

interplayoflf-consciousimagery,voyeurism,anddesirerecallsSteven

Soderbergh'sx,liesandvideotapeandKrzysztofKieslowski'sAShortFilm

AboutLove.

Lester,meanwhile,pumpsironwhilestonedtogetbuffforAngela,extortsa

year'sverancepayfromhissoul-destroyingjob,andismostlyamudwhen

hiswifehasanaffairwithBuddyKane(agrayingPeterGallagher,lookinglikea

monstrousfusionofGeorgeHamiltonandMichaelDukakis),thereal-estate

ailsofthedeadman'sultimatefateareabitofaletdown,butas

heposthumouslynotes,it'shardtostaymadwhenthere'ssomuchbeautyin

theworld,andinthatregard,thisnear-masterpieceistruetoitstitle.