Review of The Beaver (2011) by Halfwelshman — 05 Feb 2012

Quite understandably for a film about the affects of depression, The Beaver isn't the most cheerful viewing experience. Yes there is the odd laugh to be had, but generally, it maintains a rather, dark, sombre tone throughout.

Mel Gibson, in one of the finest, most complex and pitch-perfect performances of his career, plays Walter Black, a seriously depressed owner of a toy company who uses a battered old beaver hand puppet as an outlet to communicate with the world, and as a tool to escape from the clutches of depression.

Gibson handles the role with great respect for the subject matter, never over-playing the oddness of his character, but sensitively acknowledging Walter's problems and the only way he is able to deal with them.

The rest of the cast also make their mark on the film, with Jodie Foster, Anton Yelchin and Jennifer Lawrence all impressing as Walter's increasingly frustrated wife Meredith, his alienated and depressed eldest son Porter, and Norah, the secretive and troubled romantic interest of Porter respectively.

While the main focus of the story is Walter dealing with depression, the side-plots involving the other core characters are all compelling, and all add extra depth to the story. Jodie Foster's minimalistic but highly competent direction, and Kyle Killen's honest and emotive screenplay also help to make the film hugely enjoyable.

My only real criticism of The Beaver is the jarringly over-the-top and unnecessarily rushed final act. Here, the usually level-headed Foster seems determined to tie up all loose ends as quickly as possible whilst giving the film a shock ending, which it really doesn't need.

Up until this point, The Beaver's leisurely pace and very gradual development of its characters were what made it work as a film, and the sudden change of pace and tone doesn't quite fit with what came before.

Despite this, The Beaver remains a brave, intelligent, and unconventional family drama, with a bit of black comedy thrown in, that deals with an often ignored or misunderstood subject with real care and insight.

It's just such a tragedy this project surfaced when it did, as I'm sure it would have received more recognition had Mel Gibson not provoked such controversy in the headlines in recent years. This should have been the crowning glory of his hugely varied career, not his apology to the world.