Review of Beginners

I really do not think it was beginners' luck that made Director Mike Mills' indie film "Beginners" a critical success. This quirky little film about an aging widower who announces to his son that he is gay and has terminal cancer is not your typical "terms of endearment-esque" formulaic weepy. Mills direction includes experimental artistic elements into the narrative which many times are very engaging but a few times are a bit baffling; nevertheless, kudos to Mills for thinking outside the "beginners" box. "Beginners" stars Ewan McGregor as Oliver Fields, an artist who shies away from romantic relationships until he begins to romance the free-spirit French actress Anna. Oliver's dad is Hal, the aforementioned geriatric homosexual who finds a new flamboyant lease on life in his twilight days even with the terminal situation he has been handed with. Christopher Plummer's performance as Hal has been lauded by many critics and it's the frontrunner for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar. And why not? It is about time the legendary Mr. Plummer gets a little of that Oscar liquid. Whatever that means! Sorry, something is wrong with my cerebral pipes! Anyways, Plummer's multi-faceted performance was sure a delight to watch. Mills' idiosyncratic screenplay was of people speaking in eccentric tongues, which one could say was not too authentic on how people really talk to each other, but it was still a strong script mainly because it is based on his real life experience with his father. I was not too fond of the overwhelming non-linear aspects of the narrative, but it did not take away too much of the emotional strength of the picture. McGregor continues to be one the most "under the radar" actors working today, because he continues to deliver with every character he portrays as he did with his fine work as Oliver. French actress Melanie Laurent, who was so good in "Inglourious Basterds", proves that performance was no beginners luck by delivering another charismatic thespian effort with her portrayal of the lovely Anna. I will end my review of "Beginners" by stating that this movie is mostly a celebration of the unforgettable moments of life, no matter how old or new, and that it's not such a bad thing to begin again. **** Good