7. American Beauty
Im not obsessing. Im just curious. So replies Ricky Fitts (Wes Bentley), above, when his new neighbour and unwitting muse Jane Burnham (Thora Birch) asks why he was filming her from his window the night before. The omnipresence of his video camera creates the impression of Ricky as documentarian; his subject the domestic lives of the dysfunctional Burnhams. His curiosity has culminated in a bedroom stacked full of these secret recordings. Shortly after he shows Jane the moment he finds the most beautiful, the oft-parodied plastic bag dancing in the wind, his surveillance soon leads to a tragic misunderstanding. Ricky is unashamed of his prying, even when confronted. He is undoubtedly a voyeur, yet his mixture of stalking and sweet-talking ultimately persuades Jane to strip before his camera. More opportunistic than manipulative, he becomes the film's unblinking eye of the storm.