Review of The Beaver (2011) by Mohammed A — 19 Sep 2016

What seems to be a quirky story of a crazy man with a dysfunctional family but which has a deeper narrative about life and happiness. This movie calls into question what a quality life consists of, through the main protagonist played by Mel Gibson who rises to the top of his career and fame by selling a beaver toy which ends up consuming his life and being, holding him hostage until the movie climax where he is forced to free himself of the beaver's subjugation to reground himself again in his most valued fundamentals, such as his family and marriage.

This movie is masterfully acted throughout and most importantly gives the viewer a lot to think of, both in terms of understanding the movie but also understanding ourselves in terms of the issues the movie touches upon.

I especially found this film interesting as a reflection of Mel Gibson's own life, who was given fame and fortune by Hollywood in the likeness of the beaver, which ended up encroaching upon his freedom as an artist and as an individual, which could be seen from his blacklisting from Hollywood after the production of the Passion of the Christ movie.

The very career he had created for himself, ended up enslaving him, until he took the extremely brave position of cutting it off, to reground himself in his true being, unsatisfied by the act of "everything being OK," but rather tearing it all down to go back to the basic fundamentals of what brings him joy and impassions him.

Many people living brainlessly in our times, who are too fearful to question their lives or change would do good to see this film and give these issues some thought.