Review of The Beaver (2011) by Nha H — 19 Mar 2012

The movie has an interesting message, something that is not seen very often. It copes with depression and the struggles that a family goes through. It shows that depression isn't easily recognized and most people underplay it. Telling us that we should be more considerate instead of getting frustrated with these people. It also says that if we have problems we should try to make changes to get over them. We shouldn't let something hold us back from our potential.

The movie is directed very well, credit goes to Jodie Foster. It feels as if the viewer is part of the family and we aren't just watching the events, but instead we feel the need to help the main character, Walter, deal with his depression. The mood and tone is set just right and it blends the high point of his life with the low points.

The acting decent to good by most of the cast, but phenomenal by Mel Gibson. He gives probably his best performance to date. He is compelling and gets the emotions correctly most of which are just through his facial expression. His interaction with the beaver is amazing and he breathes life into a lifeless puppet, it's something that I have never seen before. I think he should be in serious consideration for a "Best Actor" at the Oscars, definitely one of the best performances this year.

Overall "The Beaver" is a fantastic movie that gives you a new perspective on people dealing with depression. Sure the story is a little choppy when we're getting closer to the climax, but Mel Gibson"s performance mixed with an original idea and pretty good score makes it worth watching. I give it 4/5, amazing performance by Mel Gibson, original story, and very emotional. I put it among the top ten movies I've seen this year, it is a thought provoking movie, but watch it just for Gibson's performance.

"Muy Caliente".