jesserebel
Sophomore
@jesserebel
Posts: 350
Likes: 92
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Post by jesserebel on Sept 16, 2018 2:12:40 GMT
I was in love with this film when it came out and wanted it to win every Oscar it was nominated for (besides Best Actress. The person I wanted to win did). Kevin Spacey gives such an honest and real performance, and this is coming from someone that is not a fan of his (I feel he tends to overact and is almost always over the top, not here).
Annette Benning gives an incredible and memorable performance as an unhappy wife having an affair, but unfortunately she was overshadowed by Hilary Swank.
The young actors of the film were all great. Wes Bentley, Thora Birch (and her very famous and controversial topless scene) and Mena Suvari were all amazing and stood out. The weakest link here IMHO is Suvari, who was one dimensional at all times and you could see acting at times.
Overall a great film with incredible performances.
9/10
Your honest thoughts and opinions?
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Post by jcush on Sept 16, 2018 2:16:05 GMT
One of my favorites. Spacey and Bening are brilliant, Cooper is great too, and Birch, Bentley, and Suvari chip in nicely as well. Thomas Newman's score is incredible, it's beautifully shot, and I love the script too. 9/10 for me as well.
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Post by ck100 on Sept 16, 2018 2:16:11 GMT
Very good if pretentious film.
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Post by petrolino on Sept 16, 2018 2:27:16 GMT
Good but once was enough.
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Post by them1ghtyhumph on Sept 16, 2018 2:28:40 GMT
I enjoyed this film immensely when I saw it in the theater, rewatched it once on TV, but I haven't been compelled to watch it again.
Excellent film. Always recognize the performance of Allison Janney
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biker1
Junior Member
@biker1
Posts: 1,804
Likes: 743
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Post by biker1 on Sept 16, 2018 4:01:14 GMT
I thought it was god's gift to 90s cinema at the time...maybe I've watched it too many times, and have become too jaded to appreciate it like I did. Maybe not. 7/10
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Post by BATouttaheck on Sept 16, 2018 4:18:34 GMT
Great cast. Terrific performances. Underwhelmed by the story. Gave it a second (and last) watch to see what I had missed. Still Blegh !
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Post by mslo79 on Sept 16, 2018 4:22:07 GMT
I used to mildly like it but it did not hold up for me on Aug 12th 2018 which I think is my 3rd viewing of it.
5/10 (Thumbs Down)
p.s. Road to Perdition (2002)(10/10) and Skyfall (2012)(9/10) and Spectre (2015)(7.5-8/10) are the directors stand out movies.
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Post by darkpast on Sept 16, 2018 4:40:37 GMT
Kevin Spacey rocks
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Post by Vits on Sept 16, 2018 11:12:39 GMT
9/10 I used to mildly like it but it did not hold up for me on Aug 12th 2018 which I think is my 3rd viewing of it. What changed?
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Post by Reggie_Stration on Sept 16, 2018 11:45:33 GMT
Like many here I loved it on first watch nearer the time of its release, but it's lost its appeal to me and is not something I'd be in any rush to watch again. Not quite sure why that is. Maybe due to a lack of any likeable characters.
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Post by BATouttaheck on Sept 16, 2018 13:30:12 GMT
due to a lack of any likeable characters. <---- yep ! and they are not dislikeable enough to like because they are dislikeable
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Post by OffTheBoatPsycho on Sept 16, 2018 14:12:22 GMT
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Post by Captain Spencer on Sept 16, 2018 15:08:20 GMT
I thought it was an excellent drama that shows the dark side of suburbia, and yet done in a very humorous way. Superb performances all around, but of course Spacey is the standout.
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Post by vegalyra on Sept 16, 2018 16:49:39 GMT
Exactly what I was going to post. I thought American Beauty was an example of everything wrong with most Oscar Bait films. Not Another Teen Movie nailed it.
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Post by kingkoopa on Sept 16, 2018 17:44:02 GMT
It totally reassured me in the way I like to work out. hehehe
Great movie. One of my favorites. It isn't without its flaws, and does get a little up-in-its-own-head. Not enough to bother me, but I could see why it'd put some viewers off.
The score is brilliant. Another cheers for Thomas Newmann. He's always great, but he knocked this one out of the park.
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Post by Vits on Sept 16, 2018 23:18:34 GMT
I thought American Beauty was an example of everything wrong with most Oscar Bait films. How so?
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Post by mslo79 on Sept 17, 2018 0:25:46 GMT
VitsI wish I could explain it but that stuff happens here and there for me where some movies I used to think were solid, or good enough, took a hit. but I can say it pretty much boils down to some feeling/emotional response is lacking on some level for me as it hit that point it's no longer worth re-watching. hell, just very recently one of my 10/10's dropped off... Training Day (2001). now I am down to eight 10/10's instead of nine. it's now a 7-7.5/10. still, it remains among My Favorite Movies but it's not amazing like it once was. July 26th 2015 was my previous viewing and at that time the 10/10 remained. so somewhere between then and my recent viewing on Sep 15th 2018 it fell off.
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Post by lowtacks86 on Sept 17, 2018 0:29:40 GMT
I watched it once when I was probably around 13 or so, haven't watched it since. Perhaps I should revisit it, but that bag scene is riddiculously lame I dunno if I really want to.
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Post by moviebuffbrad on Sept 17, 2018 1:36:03 GMT
Seems the world has fallen out of love with this movie, and that was before the Spacey stuff, but I still really like it. Although my best picture of 1999 is Fight Club.
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