Beginners (2010) Review

Thank you for taking a look at Movies In The Rockies. This blog will take a stab at reviewing movies from the eyes, ears and mind of my non-hollywood mind. I am not an artist, insider or expert. I just like movies and want to share some opinions. Each review will start with a quick synopsis of the film, followed by my perceptions. A final rating will be given with the following rating scale:


Sea Level = The movie falls short of climbing even to the first tier Altitude.


Colorado Plains = The movie starts moving upward but lacks the legs to take it to the hills.


Foot Hills = The movie has legs, but air has left the lungs and stops the movie in its tracks.


Montains = The movie has legs & lungs.


14ers = This movie has eclipsed the summit.

(SPOILER ALERT: THE SYNOPSIS BELOW WILL EXPOSE THE PLOT)

In 2011 movies about homosexuality and the different types of relationships that are found in the homosexual community are fairly common. Many film makers are finding new and creative ways to show the lives of these people, and some of those have found a way to show their impact on the heterosexual people that are important in their lives as well. Beginners, written and directed by Mike Mills, attempts to do that.

The movie tells the story of Oliver (Ewan McGregor) and his relationships with primarily his father Hal (Christopher Plummer) and his new girlfriend Anna (Melanie Laurent). Oliver's relationship with Anna is told concurrently with his relationship with Hal in a non-linear fashion. Actually, Oliver doesn't even meet Anna until after Hal's death so the viewer has the opportunity to see the two relationships in two very different stages.

Oliver and Hal build a very close relationship after the death of Oliver's mother Georgia (Mary Page Keller). After her death, Hal comes out of the closet and Oliver learns that he was gay during his entire marriage. Hal, at 75 year old, begins a new zest filled life including starting a relationship with a younger man. This "Zest" is something that Oliver never saw in his father before. He witnessed a loveless marriage that led to a lifeless existence in his father. As viewers, we get the opportunity to see this relationship build up and then as life goes, we see it terminate with the death of Hal.

Oliver meets Anna only a couple of months after Hals death and she can see a sadness deep within him. Anna and Oliver are unmistakenly attracted to each other from their first encounter. This happens to be an interesting meet as they both attend a party in which the attendees dress as a different person. Oliver was Freud and spent the entire party by a couch analyzing the other guests, including Anna. After the party their relationship blossoms and we see the many different nuances in which these artistic characters (Oliver is a graphic artist and Anna is an actress) get to know each other. The relationship grows and grows until the two decide to move in together and then for some reason that I didn't find completely clear Oliver breaks up with Anna. Maybe his emotions were on overload because he does come back to her in the end.

Director Mike Mills did a great job of showing the ups and downs of relationships in this film. We all can relate to new found relationships and ones that are coming to an end either caused by drifting apart, break ups or even death. Mills characters and in particular Oliver have great people in their lives that they love very much. Being a witness to their interactions, growth, decline and resolution within these relationships was artfully put together in a complex yet interesting way. Many directors try to do this in an artful way and throw away any sense of entertainment (see my previous blog on THE TREE OF LIFE). Mills was successful in telling a serious story in a complex manner while keeping the audience entertained (partially through the thoughts of a little Jack Russell Terrier that provides some nice comedy relief to a deep topic).

Although this movie's pace was slower than it should have been, it was heartwarming and funny while working on a deep topic. Ewan McGregor, Christopher Plummer and Melanie Laurent all played their parts wonderfully and had a great supporting actor in the little dog. This movie has ascended to THE MONTAIN rating level and I recommend the readers see the movie with friends in the late afternoon so you can discuss over dinner.