Who was the cinematographer best known for photographing the 1999 American drama film directed by Sam Mendes and written by Alan Ball?
American Beauty (1999 film) American Beauty is a 1999 American drama film directed by Sam Mendes and written by Alan Ball. Kevin Spacey stars as Lester Burnham, a 42-year-old advertising executive who has a midlife crisis when he becomes infatuated with his teenage daughter's best friend, Angela (Mena Suvari). Annette Bening co-stars as Lester's materialistic wife, Carolyn, and Thora Birch plays their insecure daughter, Jane. Wes Bentley, Chris Cooper, and Allison Janney also feature. The film is described by academics as a satire of American middle-class notions of beauty and personal satisfaction; analysis has focused on the film's explorations of romantic, and paternal love, sexuality, beauty, materialism, self-liberation, and redemption.
King Lear (1999 film) King Lear is a 1999 adaptation of William Shakespeare's play of the same name. The film stars Brian Blessed (who also co-directed the film, along with Tony Rotherham) in the title role. Apart from Peter Brook's "King Lear" in 1971, it is the only other feature length film adaptation to preserve Shakespeare's verse. Yvonne Griggs, in "Shakespeare's King Lear: A close study of the relationship between text and film" (2009), characterised it as "a very stilted costume drama".