{"id":1169,"date":"2011-08-09T10:49:13","date_gmt":"2011-08-09T10:49:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmgaze.com\/blog\/?p=1169"},"modified":"2011-08-09T10:49:46","modified_gmt":"2011-08-09T10:49:46","slug":"beginners","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmgaze.com\/blog\/drama\/beginners\/","title":{"rendered":"Beginners ****"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>We\u2019re all searching for our purpose in life, a place where all the pieces of the puzzle fit together, and this is what resonates loudly from Mike Mills<\/a>\u2019s bittersweet and profoundly sincere dramedy, Beginners<\/em><\/a>, with anyone pondering over their current lot. Starring a wonderful pairing of Christopher Plummer<\/a> and Ewan McGregor<\/a>as father and son, Hal and Oliver, the non-linear narrative moves between poignant periods of the family\u2019s life to highlight pivotal moments in a saddening but witty manner to trace how Oliver has become. However, it simultaneously and intentionally seems lost in direction at times to reflect Oliver\u2019s (McGregor) desperate search for fulfilment.<\/p>\n

Only child Oliver appears to have been in his enigmatic parents\u2019 shadow all his life, and after the death of his eccentric mother (played by Mary Page Keller<\/a>), his fragile world is rocked again by his father, Hal\u2019s announcement at age 75 that he is gay \u2013 and has known this since the age of 12 \u2013 and that he has terminal lung cancer. Struggling to cope with new events, Oliver has also met a potential love of his life in mysterious and independent French actress Anna (Inglourious Basterds<\/a><\/em>\u2019 M\u00e9lanie Laurent<\/a>\u2019s first English-speaking role). Can ever-woeful Oliver allow love and contentment into his life?<\/p>\n

Mills\u2019 film never feels deeply intense, spiralling into blackening despair and self-indulgence, or lacks gravity of a situation, feeling frivolous. Mills\u2019s meticulous balance of emotions keeps the story rousing and engaging, as the Cin\u00e9ma v\u00e9rit\u00e9 style plays down any melodrama and keeps the characters as real as possible. It also reflects Oliver\u2019s numbing mood as he floats through his existence, coming alive when Anna offers him some promise of \u2018normality\u2019. Intriguingly, although he wants happiness and control, as soon as he has these things and ventures out of his parents\u2019 hold, his self-destructive nature denies them. Here, is a new battle he must acknowledge and tackle if he is to survive.<\/p>\n

McGregor gives one of his career-defining performances as Oliver. His is the emotionally-layered character in the film that alternates throughout, expressing the reactions to Plummer\u2019s playful and inspiring actions, and is always on the verge of slow-burning meltdown, but finding a release through drawings and momentary explosions of \u2018civil disobedience\u2019 graffiti. McGregor plays down Oliver, never allowing him to become neurotic and ungrounded. This is further expressed by the Fonejacker<\/em><\/a>-styled narrations of periods in his history, as well as subtitled conversations with his father\u2019s pining dog, Arthur, who provides a lot of light and welcome relief throughout.<\/p>\n

Plummer is simply delightful as Hal, as though in his element in a new defining role in his prime at 82. Again, although Hal is boisterous and borderline-camp, Plummer never allows him to become a gay caricature, managing to capture Hal\u2019s adventurous new lifestyle, but acknowledging the sobering terminal restraints after he has found the freedom and contentment he\u2019s craved. There are some harrowingly tender moments between father and son as they begin to understand each other once time is running out. The mischievous side of both actors compliments their more sensitive expressions, resulting in some memorable scenes.<\/p>\n

In addition, Oliver and Anna\u2019s odd bittersweet meeting and unconventional relationship gives greater scope for McGregor to portray Oliver\u2019s destructive side that moves full circle \u2013 nurturing then spurning Anna when she gets too close. Even his mother mentions that black or Jewish music \u2018is the deepest as they suffered the most\u2019, engraining at an early age in Oliver that to be in pain at least means you are alive. At the same time, Laurent keeps Anna as an enigma, a lost soul with an equally needy parent \u2013 providing some insight into her nomadic and unattached lifestyle, but showing her faults, including commitment issues of her own. Through their relationship, Mills questions our sense of normality and what\u2019s deemed right and wrong in society.<\/p>\n

Throughout Beginners<\/em>, there is a sense of captivating innocence; of never really knowing it all in life as the playing field can change at any one moment. It\u2019s this constant look at rebirth and starting over, as well as Mills basing this story on his own father\u2019s \u2018coming out\u2019 experiences that gives Beginners<\/em> a refreshing vitality and sense of hope amidst a challenging story of embracing change, as and when fate comes knocking, to find purpose.<\/p>\n

4\/5 stars<\/strong><\/p>\n

By @FilmGazer<\/p>\n

Follow on Twitter<\/a><\/p>\n

WATCH THE TRAILER HERE<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We\u2019re all searching for our purpose in life, a place where all the pieces of the puzzle fit together, and this is what resonates loudly from Mike Mills\u2019s bittersweet and profoundly sincere dramedy, Beginners, with anyone pondering over their current lot. Starring a wonderful pairing of Christopher Plummer and Ewan McGregoras father and son, Hal … <\/p>\n

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