Review of Beginners (2011) by Kevin N — 05 Feb 2012

Funny, simple and refreshingly playful, Mike Mills' semi-autobiographical film about a man's rediscovery of his recently out-of-the-closet father after the man's death is fluffy but effective stuff.

This is one of those movies that starts out witty and narcissistic and then hits you hard in the gut about halfway through, but Mills never leaves his audience out to dry. He truly cares about us just as he cares about his characters, and we all get around to a kind of reconciliation in the film's finale, but one that doesn't feel forced.

Christopher Plummer is getting a lot of attention for this role, and while I don't think it was a terribly strenuous part to play, nor that he had to go anywhere too challenging as an actor, he is quite good at what the film demands.

The performance I really enjoyed was Ewan McGregor's, and I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that he is playing Mills, and that, presumably, Mills knows himself better than anyone on the planet.

McGregor's performance is filled with small moments of great truth, and I really connected to both his desire to constantly challenge himself and his gradual realization that he needs comfort and love as much as anyone else- that we're all essentially equal in different measures on that level.