Episode 5 November 18th, 2010

Back yet again with another episode of Highbrow! Lowbrow? the podcast that looks at the Best Picture Academy Award Winner and Top Box Office Earner of the same year. The year 1999 brings us American Beauty (Academy award winner) and Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (top box office earner).

American Beauty, directed by Sam Mendes, is a story about how one average American family tries to deal with the drudgery of suburban life. Kevin Spacey, who plays the fed-up dad, lusts after his daughter's friend (played by Mena Suvari) as a way of escape. Annette Benning, the uptight mom, turns to sex and shooting guns to elude her family strife. Thora Birch, the daughter caught between the two, finds refuge in the form of her next-door neighbor, a bizarre filmmaker (played by Wes Bentley) who reveals to her beauty in the least expected places. We were both surprised that the film won so many accolades, since upon second viewing, the film lacks a certain depth. The film paints in broad strokes, and doesn't possess the maturity of filmmaking required by its overarching themes. Nevertheless, although initially it was hard to be invested in the stereotypical setting, there are a number of strong scenes that draw you in.

Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, directed by George Lucas, is the first of the "prequels", depicting the rise of the Empire, and the beginning of the Star Wars Saga. Queen Amidala (Natalie Portman) defends her planet Naboo with the help of two Jedi, Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan Macgregor) against the nefarious Trade Federation. Young Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd) begins his journey into Jedi life, but the dark figure of the Emperor casts a shadow on all their fates. And Jar Jar Binks... why? Oh Lord, why? This film suffers from several problems: poor acting, a confusing and uninteresting story and unnecessary characters. However, after all these years the CG effects are still stunning, as are the fantastic settings and unique costumes. We also enjoyed the action sequences; the intensity of the light saber battles were definitely amped up for Episode 1.

Do the light saber battles of The Phantom Menace entertain more than the battles of everyday life in American Beauty? Is there more meaning to the Force or a floating plastic bag? Listen to our 5th Episode to find out.