It's 2003. Thirty-eight year old graphic artist Oliver Fields (Ewan McGregor) has just lost his father Hal Fields (Christopher Plummer) to cancer, after Oliver's mother Georgia Fields passed away five years earlier. Oliver grew up watching his parents' cordial but somewhat distant relationship with each other, but is more so now because of his personal family loss. Oliver embarks on a relationship with Anna (Melanie Laurent), a French actress. Oliver is hoping that his re-energized relationship with Hal following his mother, Georgia's (Mary Page Keller) death and Hal's new outlook on life during that time will show Oliver how to act in a loving relationship. After Georgia's death, Hal came out of the closet and began to live with a new found joy that did not exist before, which included an open relationship with a much younger man named Andy. Oliver's relationship with Anna has other obstacles, including Anna's own vagabond lifestyle and Oliver needing to take care of who was originally Hal's very needy Jack Russell terrier, Arthur.
Beginners is about how two adult men find love and is told through three different timelines in Oliver's life simultaneously. A dog is a main part of the proceedings, but this isn't a comedy. There are no villains, yet there's a deep sadness underlying the humor and a hope underneath the sadness. Evan McGregor's Oliver is quite engaging. The man is broken down and sadness seeps in every bone of his body after the loss of his father. Melanie Laurent's Anna plays this graceful, lovely, amazing, flawed human being who's someone you want to fall in love with and I did fall for her over and over again through the course of the movie. But frankly, her character was greatly underdeveloped. One of the highlights of the movie was the clever usage of vocieovers and historic events and society at different points of time through pictures which enhanced the narrative.
There was so much chemistry and pure unadulterated love between Anna and Oliver that I felt like I was a peeping tom and almost felt bad about it. Powerful doesn't even begin to explain it. How wonderful would it be if the world were to be as inviting to gay people as in the movie. Christopher Plummer brings a dignified, yet funny perspective with his take as a gay man. But, he definitely did not deserve that Oscar. Perhaps, the most underrated in this movie was Mary Page Keller who is every bit as good as Plummer in the role of Oliver's mother. Hers is also a tragic tale. She was married to a gay man her whole life on her own accord even after knowing his preferences. The backstory added new perspective for understanding Oliver. One of the best things about Beginners is how sincerely heartfelt it is and how much the characters are realistic, rational, warm, loving and loyal.
8/10
Beginners is about how two adult men find love and is told through three different timelines in Oliver's life simultaneously. A dog is a main part of the proceedings, but this isn't a comedy. There are no villains, yet there's a deep sadness underlying the humor and a hope underneath the sadness. Evan McGregor's Oliver is quite engaging. The man is broken down and sadness seeps in every bone of his body after the loss of his father. Melanie Laurent's Anna plays this graceful, lovely, amazing, flawed human being who's someone you want to fall in love with and I did fall for her over and over again through the course of the movie. But frankly, her character was greatly underdeveloped. One of the highlights of the movie was the clever usage of vocieovers and historic events and society at different points of time through pictures which enhanced the narrative.
There was so much chemistry and pure unadulterated love between Anna and Oliver that I felt like I was a peeping tom and almost felt bad about it. Powerful doesn't even begin to explain it. How wonderful would it be if the world were to be as inviting to gay people as in the movie. Christopher Plummer brings a dignified, yet funny perspective with his take as a gay man. But, he definitely did not deserve that Oscar. Perhaps, the most underrated in this movie was Mary Page Keller who is every bit as good as Plummer in the role of Oliver's mother. Hers is also a tragic tale. She was married to a gay man her whole life on her own accord even after knowing his preferences. The backstory added new perspective for understanding Oliver. One of the best things about Beginners is how sincerely heartfelt it is and how much the characters are realistic, rational, warm, loving and loyal.
8/10