Audio Commentaries are sometimes a forgotten gem in the world of film. But how often do they get heard, and are they even worth hearing? This series of reviews will take a look at some of the best, and perhaps worst, audio commentaries on some classic films. Exploring what, if anything, they bring to the film. Any commentary review suggestions? Let us know in the comments below.
Who does this Commentary? The American Beauty commentary is from director Sam Mendes and screenwriter Alan Ball. Although for the majority of the commentary, we only hear from Mendes, and Ball joins in with the occasional comment.
American Beauty is a truly remarkable film. Following the lives of seemingly ‘normal’ suburban families, we are told to ‘Look Closer’ and see that not all is as it appears. We follow Kevin Spacey, a frustrated man going through a mid-life crisis, who forms an infatuation with his daughter’s friend. We also see his daughter, Jane, become close to neighbour Ricky, and his troubles with an overbearing father.
Immensely popular on release, American Beauty went on to gross over $350 million worldwide at the box office, and won five Academy Awards, including Best Director for Mendes, Best Original Screenplay for Ball, Best Actor for Spacey and Best Picture. If you are one of the few people not to have seen American Beauty, get on that!
Although the commentary from Mendes and Ball would seemingly be a two-way conversation, with both chipping in with comments and anecdotes, Ball very rarely speaks throughout. Perhaps they decided before that Mendes would do most of the talking? But either way, in this two hour commentary, Ball perhaps speaks for around ten minutes, and Mendes for the other hour and fifty minutes. Not that this is necessarily a problem, as Mendes leads the viewer throughout with a lot of information on the filming of American Beauty.
The information given is almost all technical. Listening to this commentary, you will find yourself looking at the lighting, or the way the actors move their gaze, or the camera angles. In fact, you may suddenly stop watching the actors altogether and instead be noticing the position of a prop or a piece of clothing, which Mendes is directing us too. As this is the main context of the commentary, there is a distinct lack of behind-the-scenes stories. We only occasional get comments in regards to the actors finding it difficult to get through a certain scene because of someone laughing, but that is all.
This commentary would certainly be an interesting listen to someone wanting to know more about the technical side of filming, and Mendes constantly references cinematographer Conrad Hall and how his work has shaped the look and style of the film. Film students would certainly find this commentary a great help in their studies, as we are given a real masterclass in the technical aspects of filmmaking. However, with Ball not saying much, we miss out on hearing about character development, especially in regards to the writing process.
Commentary Score: 6/10
Ultimately, if you want behind-the-scenes stories, this commentary won’t deliver. If you want a detailed explanation on how Mendes styled the film and technical filming notes, this commentary is a great listen, and you will learn a lot.
Favourite Commentary Moment:
One of the very few comments from Alan Ball in this commentary tells us that he had the inspiration for the line; “You’re defending him, you love him. You want to have, like, ten thousand of his babies!” after seeing U2 in concert and hearing a woman scream; “I love you Bono! I want to have, like, ten thousand of your babies!”
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COMMENTARY REVIEW: American Beauty (1999)
Audio Commentaries are sometimes a forgotten gem in the world of film. But how often do they get heard, and are they even worth hearing? This series of reviews will take a look at some of the best, and perhaps worst, audio commentaries on some classic films. Exploring what, if anything, they bring to the film. Any commentary review suggestions? Let us know in the comments below.
Who does this Commentary? The American Beauty commentary is from director Sam Mendes and screenwriter Alan Ball. Although for the majority of the commentary, we only hear from Mendes, and Ball joins in with the occasional comment.
American Beauty is a truly remarkable film. Following the lives of seemingly ‘normal’ suburban families, we are told to ‘Look Closer’ and see that not all is as it appears. We follow Kevin Spacey, a frustrated man going through a mid-life crisis, who forms an infatuation with his daughter’s friend. We also see his daughter, Jane, become close to neighbour Ricky, and his troubles with an overbearing father.
Immensely popular on release, American Beauty went on to gross over $350 million worldwide at the box office, and won five Academy Awards, including Best Director for Mendes, Best Original Screenplay for Ball, Best Actor for Spacey and Best Picture. If you are one of the few people not to have seen American Beauty, get on that!
Although the commentary from Mendes and Ball would seemingly be a two-way conversation, with both chipping in with comments and anecdotes, Ball very rarely speaks throughout. Perhaps they decided before that Mendes would do most of the talking? But either way, in this two hour commentary, Ball perhaps speaks for around ten minutes, and Mendes for the other hour and fifty minutes. Not that this is necessarily a problem, as Mendes leads the viewer throughout with a lot of information on the filming of American Beauty.
The information given is almost all technical. Listening to this commentary, you will find yourself looking at the lighting, or the way the actors move their gaze, or the camera angles. In fact, you may suddenly stop watching the actors altogether and instead be noticing the position of a prop or a piece of clothing, which Mendes is directing us too. As this is the main context of the commentary, there is a distinct lack of behind-the-scenes stories. We only occasional get comments in regards to the actors finding it difficult to get through a certain scene because of someone laughing, but that is all.
This commentary would certainly be an interesting listen to someone wanting to know more about the technical side of filming, and Mendes constantly references cinematographer Conrad Hall and how his work has shaped the look and style of the film. Film students would certainly find this commentary a great help in their studies, as we are given a real masterclass in the technical aspects of filmmaking. However, with Ball not saying much, we miss out on hearing about character development, especially in regards to the writing process.
Commentary Score: 6/10
Ultimately, if you want behind-the-scenes stories, this commentary won’t deliver. If you want a detailed explanation on how Mendes styled the film and technical filming notes, this commentary is a great listen, and you will learn a lot.
Favourite Commentary Moment:
One of the very few comments from Alan Ball in this commentary tells us that he had the inspiration for the line; “You’re defending him, you love him. You want to have, like, ten thousand of his babies!” after seeing U2 in concert and hearing a woman scream; “I love you Bono! I want to have, like, ten thousand of your babies!”
Some of the coverage you find on Cultured Vultures contains affiliate links, which provide us with small commissions based on purchases made from visiting our site. We cover gaming news, movie reviews, wrestling and much more.