Review of Beginners (2011) by Keith H — 30 Dec 2011

Beginners is an absolutely incredible character-driven dramedy that is wonderfully written, funny, completely heartfelt, brilliantly acted and is simply a satisfying film experience that entertains, moves and leaves a lasting impact on the viewer.

Written and directed by Mike Mills, Beginners tells a story about a young man named Oliver who must deal with the shocking revelations that his 78 year old father is gay despite being married for over 40 years and the fact that his father has terminal cancer.

Beginners uses a fantastic plot device of going back and forth, showing the past (his father) with the current timeline (Oliver's love for Anna), the movie opens with Oliver going through his recently deceased father belongings and looking after Arthur, a Jack Russell terrier with a severe case of separation anxiety (seriously, this dog is a joy and is pure hilarity to watch).

The film is all about the character relationships, Oliver is a fascinating character because he is real (Mike Mills based this movie off of his own life) and the real strength of Beginners lies with the involving character relationships that Oliver goes through with a young actress, his ill father and the hilarious dog Arthur.

The film spans a wide range of emotions, the writing can be amazingly funny but Beginners also is one of the most moving films I've seen in a long time. The performances only increase the impact of the material, Ewan McGregor is brilliant as Oliver.

The movie hinged on his work and Ewan delivered in spades. Legendary actor Christopher Plummer takes on the role of Hal, an odd role at that and he is truly sensational and without a doubt, should be a front runner for best supporting actor.

Melanie Laurent is lovely as Anna, who Oliver meets and instantly falls for and I really thought Mary Page Keller delivered a superb supporting performance as Oliver's obviously sad mother, Georgia.

Goran Visnjic of E.R fame also delivers a strong supporting performance as Hal's young lover. Mike Mills' direction is simple yet works perfectly and I loved Oliver's narration and breakdowns in the film, so perfect.

Overall, I can't say I had a ton of interest in this film before I watched it but what a rewarding watch this film was. Mike Mills crafted one of the finest character dramedies I've had the privilege of seeing.

Beginners is such a wonderful film, the performances are truly brilliant with McGregor, Plummer and Laurent all giving performances worthy of recognition. At its core though, Beginners is about relationships and the film is a pure delight from start to finish and I loved every second of this wonderfully moving yet oh so funny character study piece known as Beginners.

A must-see!