By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4.5 cats
Director: Mike Mills
Starring: Christopher Plummer | Ewan McGregor | Goran Visnjic | Kai Lennox | Mélanie Laurent
Country: united_states
Year: 2011
Running time: 105
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1532503/
Chris says: “BEGINNERS puts a novel twist on the coming out narrative: this time, it’s the father, 75-year-old Hal (Christopher Plummer) who tells his son Oliver (Ewan McGregor) that he’s gay. Neither played for farce nor melodrama, the relatively painless process proves something of a rebirth for Hal, who eagerly and amiably adjusts to his new lifestyle. In turn, this inspires Oliver, a single, straight, somewhat morose graphic designer to comes out of his shell a little and date Anna (Melanie Laurent), a charming French woman he meets at a party.
“Director (and graphic designer) Mike Mills’ own life inspired the story which translates into something personal and intimate but thankfully not self-indulgent. The smart, non-chronological sequencing and out-of-time soundtrack almost bring to mind a modern-day ANNIE HALL. Although Mills is far more introspective than Woody Allen, he graces the film with touches of offbeat humor–most noticeably in Hal’s dog, a Jack Russell terrier whose ingenuous onscreen captions give the proceedings a sprightly kick when they threaten to turn too angsty.
“Such angst between Oliver and Anna late in the film muddles and nearly slows it down (which is why Allen rarely made films longer than 90 minutes). However, there’s still much to love. Plummer seems far more comfortable here than he did in the middlebrow claptrap of THE LAST STATION –his sense of discovery is infectious. McGregor, so often cast in showier roles, conveys Oliver’s sensitively without seeming like a simp and makes for as strong of an anchor as he did in THE GHOST WRITER. And for Mills, this is a considerable leap from his first feature (the promising but uneven THUMBSUCKER). BEGINNERS never feels insincere, and that’s no small accomplishment. 4 1/2 cats”
Julie says: “Chris’s review is spot on. I too was amused by Plummer’s new found sense of discovery. And was also impressed with McGregor’s more sensitive (but not wimpy) character than he usually plays. Melanie Laurent was perfect as the spunky and beautiful Anna. And the dog, Arthur, played by Cosmo, a Jack Russell terrier was just so adorable and amazing. I can’t say enough! The movie had a nice flow.
“And I loved loved loved how the different time periods were ‘described’ with pictures and narrative. 4.5 cats”