Beginners

Starring: Ewan McGregor, Christopher Plummer, Melanie Laurent, Goran Visnjic, Kai Lennox, Mary Page Keller
Directed by: Mike Mills
Rating: R
Genre: Drama, Comedy
2011

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A man (Ewan McGregor) grieving for his late father (Christopher Plummer) meets a beautiful woman (Melanie Laurent) who changes his life.

Review:

Tim: Mike Mills is an interesting guy. As a writer/director, he seems well versed in telling human stories- character-driven films that pull you into the lives of interesting people, show them working through the ups-and-downs of life, and changing along the way. His films seem to be measured, but filled with heart. I enjoyed Beginners and while the movie might not have quite the staying power you'd hope for, the excellent cast further elevates the material. This is a worthwhile film.

The characters we're introduced to are complex and interesting. I appreciated the feeling of authenticity, that we're seeing believable characters living their lives. This is helped by a tremendous cast. Ewan McGregor is wonderful in the lead role. McGregor is someone who is always excellent, yet still manages to fly under the radar. If you were to ask me to name the great actors, it would take me a long time to come to McGregor. And yet, he's so consistently excellent that this would be such a major oversight. Here, he's likable, funny, charismatic, flawed, full of grief, yet open to inspiration. His character is kind, warm, sad. McGregor conveys all these emotions in believable fashion. He has a great partner in Melaine Laurent. I always love seeing Laurent- another actor that I often overlook, but am consistently impressed with. Her performance here is full of energy and she has a lot of chemistry with McGregor. Watching these two actors grow close together feels so authentic and realistic. Their performances together feel effortless. I thoroughly enjoyed both characters and I was invested in their story.

Christopher Plummer adds in a tremendous supporting performance as McGregor's father. Plummer has long been a wildly talented actor and he gives a strong performance here. Plummer won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, the only nomination the film received. I'm of two minds about this. On the one hand, Plummer is so effective in the role, I get why the Academy would be impressed. On the other hand, it's definitely a smaller supporting role and it's not as flashy as you might expect. Sure, homosexuality felt a tad more cutting-edge to portray in 2010, but I'm impressed that the Academy saw the talent here, although Plummer at his best in this role is more subtle. This is a role that could have been overlooked, but was instead rewarded.

Beginners is an interesting movie that puts all its focus on the characters. As I try to remember specific events or actions, it's a bit hard to identify what actually happened. That feels less important here. This is a movie that focuses almost exclusively on the who. Who are these people? Who do they imagine themselves to be? Who do they wish they were? That's what Mills is focused on and it's incredibly interesting to see these characters develop throughout the course of the film. Now, yes, the movie does drag in places. It feels a tad long, even at 1 hour, 45 minutes. However, Mills always puts together enjoyable sequences that refocus us on the narrative. I enjoyed this movie.

Beginners is the kind of film that might not immediately jump into your mind when you're thinking of strong films. It legitimately doesn't pack quite the emotional punch that it needed to. However, it allowed three great actors to showcase their talent while bringing to life multidimensional characters in a way that felt true to the human experience. That should be celebrated and Mills' film is definitely one that deserves our applause.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



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