Beginners

Greetings again from the darkness. This is a terrific little art-house character study with comedic elements, fine acting and superb writing. Mike Mills is responsible and he was also the writer and director on another excellent little movie from about 5 years ago called Thumbsucker. When I say little movie, I mean intimate and poignant with a nominal budget.

Three time periods are presented in overlapping form to an effective end. One period shows us Oliver (Ewan McGregor) as a young kid interacting with his mother (Mary Page Keller). Another period shows Oliver's father Hal (Christopher Plummer) confessing to him that he is gay (this is a few months after the mother/wife dies). The third period has Oliver trying to forge a relationship with Anna (Melanie Laurent) whom he met at a costume party.

While that may sound like a simple set-up, I assure you that the complications created by these characters is both realistic and head-spinning. It turns out Hal knew he was gay prior to marrying Oliver's mother, but claims she promised to "fix" him. Once he proclaims his gayness, Hal jumps in with both feet to all causes gay. He thoroughly enjoys himself and even meets a new, younger lover. And just when he admits to joy, inoperable cancer is discovered in Hal's lungs. This begins the second major secret of his life.

The scenes from Oliver's childhood provide crucial evidence on why he is so solemn and afraid of relationships. He suffers just as his mother did. Things begin to shift for him when, dressed as Freud, his party sofa becomes occupied by Anna - a beautiful, alluring French actress who, it turns out, is just as messed up emotionally as is Oliver. They make the perfect threesome ... including Arthur, Hal's Jack Terrier, who speaking through subtitles, lets us know when things are OK or not. Arthur takes a great deal of the heaviness away.

There are many elements of this film that I really like. The houses of both Hal and Oliver are full of as much personality as either of the characters. The look and pace of the film is meticulous and steady given the material. It seems to be naturally lighted from windows and interior sconces. Nothing even comes close to looking like a Hollywood set.

Ewan McGregor plays his part very close to the vest and conveys the pain and uncertainty that Oliver has learned over the years. His defenses are up! Melanie Laurent was my favorite part of Inglourious Basterds (she was the cinema owner on a mission) and here she offers both hopefulness and melancholy. To me, the heart of the film is Christopher Plummer's performance. He portrays an elderly gay man with grace and then takes it to another level in his "sick" scenes. He is a wise man who may or may not understand how selfish he was, but is intent on showing Oliver that it's never to late to be a "beginner" in love.

I was able to see the world premiere of Beginners at the Toronto International Film Festival this weekend, and it completely took me by surprise. It was a bit of a last minute pick, and it has been my favourite film so far, and probably one of my favourite films in general. To be simple, I will just say that this film is about life and the emotions and experiences that we all go through within it. Christopher Plummer plays a 75 year old man who after the death of his wife is finally able to explore his homosexuality, and we see him come to life through this experience. It is not only about him, but mainly about his son played by Ewan McGregor, whose relationships with both his mother and father shape him as a person. These relationships and his own romantic relationships make up the core of his character, and it is through love, loss and discovery that the three main characters display an authentic view of humanity. It is an original film, and requires a certain audience, but I recommend that everyone should see this true gem.

For a film with such a haunting and depressing scenario, 'Beginners' is a surprisingly powerful and perceptive piece of cinema. When I first read the synopsis, I was a bit doubtful about the concept and was uncertain as to whether it was worth a watch, however after learning that the film was partially autobiographical and based on the life of writer-director Mike Mills, I decided to give it a try, convinced by the inspiration of Mills' first-person experiences. 'Beginners' blends comedy and romance against a dramatic backdrop in order to create a charming and character-driven story. In my opinion, it is Christopher Plummer's Oscar-winning performance that really sells the picture accompanied by some assuring performances from Ewan McGregor and Mélanie Laurent. 'Beginners' is a powerfully understated piece of independent filmmaking that maintains it's emotional resonance from start to finish.

¨Well, let's say that since you were little, you always dreamed of getting a lion. And you wait, and you wait, and you wait, and you wait but the lion doesn't come. And along comes a giraffe. You can be alone, or you can be with the giraffe.¨

Beginners is one of those movies that stands out due to the strong performance from the cast. The actors tell the story, and sometimes a look can say more than actual words. Ewan McGregor has this look in his eyes that constantly reminds us in this film that his character is a very sad and lonesome guy. There is no need for him to tell us, we just know it by the way he acts. From the opening scene you will also notice this isn't your typical Hollywood romantic movie; it's different and actually rings true to life. Beginners is a romantic drama with a strong and special chemistry between the two lead roles played by McGregor and Melanie Laurent (from Inglorious Basterds fame). In order for a romantic movie to work it's a must for the two lead characters to have a strong chemistry between them, and these two have it from the start, from the very first moment they meet. Ironically when they first meet she can't talk, but they say so much to each other with their eyes. That is true in life sometimes. From that moment I knew this film was going to be good, and it was. Their relationship is the center of the story although the movie is non-linear as we get to see McGregor's relationship with his now dead mother and father. Those interactions with them shaped him and made him the man he is today. He witnessed how his parents respected one another, but lacked real love for each other. He doesn't want to make the same mistake.

Oliver (Ewan McGregor) is the narrator of the movie in which he is telling the story of his life. It's 2003 and his father, Hal (Christopher Plummer) has recently passed away. We get several flashbacks dealing with their relationship together. His mother, Georgia (Mary Page Keller), who he was closer with had died five years ago. After this, Oliver grew closer to his father who opened up to him and let him know he has been gay all his life. Hal really begins living after he comes out of the closet and has a relationship with a much younger man named Andy (Goran Visnjic). Oliver begins to see a version of his father that he never knew. At the same time he realizes his father has terminal cancer and therefore has to take care of him, but in a way they form a stronger bond with each other. Oliver is now on his own, working as a graphic artist who keeps to himself most of the time and spends time with his father's dog, Arthur, but one day his co-workers invite him to a party and insist on him joining them. There Oliver meets a young French actress named Anna (Melanie Laurent) and despite the fact that she can't speak at first due to laryngitis they spend the night together and the relationship grows from there. The two seem perfect for each other, neither of them is in a relationship, but Oliver is afraid they won't last. The movie jumps back and forth from Oliver's relationship with his father and his present relationship with Anna. We get to see how some things of the past have affected him and shaped him in the present.

Beginners is not a movie for everyone; some might find it slow-paced, but it is a very smart film with a good script written by Mike Mills himself (this is his first film since the 2005 movie Thumbsucker) and it has some great performances. I already mentioned how strong McGregor and Laurent were together, but who really has been getting all the praise is Christopher Plummer for his supporting role. He plays an openly gay seventy five year old man who is enjoying life after trying to repress his feelings for so many years. Just when his life begins to look good he is diagnosed with cancer and has to deal with this as well without telling his young lover that he's dying. He gives a terrific performance and will probably get nominated for the Oscars. I however found Laurent's performance to be the true heart of the film. She is just so natural on screen and was so believable; she was just amazing. McGregor is a terrific actor as well and we've grown used to seeing him give strong performances. Beginners is a movie for film lovers, they won't be disappointed. I recently saw New Year's Eve and that movie had so many romantic stories going on that none of them really rang true, but this one is really authentic and worth seeing. The characters are really complex and you can tell it just by looking into their eyes. Great film.

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This film is about a young man whose father came out as being gay and was found to have terminal cancer.

The plot summary of "Beginners" makes the film sound like a touching, introspective and soul searching journey of Oliver, who deals with his father's big changes. These are what "Beginners" could have been like. It could have explored the father's difficult and conflicted life, and Oliver's path to adjustment to such drastic changes. It could have been so touching and engaging.

However, "Beginners" is in reality a jumbled up mess. It concentrates on Oliver's love life with a French woman he met at a party, with occasional flashbacks o his childhood and his father's battle with cancer. The story flips from one time point to another incoherently. The story is no logical focus. The subplot about Oliver's love life is so disjointed that I don't even know what message it wants to portray. Moreover, Oliver's father is the most interesting character in the film, and yet the film is not about him.

I was thoroughly bored by "Beginners". The only redeeming feature of the film is the confession of Oliver's father about his marriage to his wife. The rest of the film is an incoherent bore.