What is wrong with American movies?

Tonight I went to see The Class and it was pretty freakin' awesome. It got me thinking though, about more than just how amazing teachers are and how hard it is to be one. There was something about this film that was just so real, so true, so natural. Where do we ever find this in American cinema? The Class felt like a documentary, yet without the staginess and narration. This could be because François Bégaudeau, the star, wrote the book the film is based on, along with the screenplay. So he's basically playing a version of himself. Yet everyone seems so natural in front of a camera. The script manages to be quite complex- the conversations that are had, the issues being dealt with, are not simplified. The movie offers no easy answers, no happy hollywood resolutions. Which I have to admit was something I caught myself hoping for at moments. I think this has to do with how trained I am by American films. Most Hollywood pictures are so big, so over-dramatized, even the ones that are supposed to be based on true stories. Even the "gritty" movies feel so put together, so polished. Conflicts are simplified, dialog is quick, going for the instant laughs. And of course everything builds to an often predictable climax, and ends in a nice little resolution. I was struck by how we've come to expect that's what a movie is. What about just telling a really compelling story that speaks for itself? This lack of traditional structure is something I've seen many times in French film. What a pleasure to watch- how satisfying and thought-provoking.