Beginners (2010)

Before I start with the actual review I just want to point out that this is, and forever will be, the cutest dog ever! I appreciate the characteristics this dog embodies, he looks a bit scruffy and yet, the personality is just impeccable – plus, how is it that even dogs can embody so much emotion? I could talk about this dog for hours. I guess it’s because I just wanna give it a hug and have deep conversations with him like Ewan McGregor’s character had. I think he will be a good listener and the fact that he looks intelligent will probably mean he would give great advice. But enough about the dog now, I need to talk about Beginners, which is a slightly dark comedy that tackles a fresh topic with much heart and a bit of humor.

Beginners was a on my “to watch” list for a while and I feel a bit bad because I should’ve give it my attention much sooner. It’s not that I wasn’t feeling it, I actually, (I feel a lot of shame because of it) forgot about it for a while but of course not forever. I remember being excited about the general idea of a 70+ guy coming out to his son as gay and all but I wasn’t expecting it to be so sad. Plus, I wasn’t ready to love Mélanie Laurent so much!  Seriously, why haven’t I seen her more? Something I was fully aware though, was the fact that I would love Ewan McGregor – he is so lovely! Anyway, the movie was adorable like I thought it would be but for some reason, I don’t know if I would watch it again… I think Beginners isn’t that kind of a movie that one could watch more than once. Though I would give the party scene a re-watch since I thought it was the cleverest way to introduce two people – without actually allowing them to have a conversation and the dog: the dog!

Since it is a movie that is relatively old in the movie world, as some of you review new releases every week and make me jealous because I can’t go to the cinema that often, Beginners must have been a movie you saw a long time ago. Still, I don’t see it as a cinema movie and more of a DVD rental because it might make you cry and to do that, you’d better be in between the comfort walls of your home. It’s sad, yes, but it is the kind of darkly-sad-and-funny because we know from the beginning that Oliver’s (McGregor) dad Hal is dead and yet, we kind of follow their story as well as Oliver’s love life with Anna (Laurent). But since we are already talking about actors, let me mention, or remind you, that Christopher Plummer (who is going to turn 83 this December!) got an Oscar for his supporting role in Beginners. Was he worth it? I think he was, because it was so much about the way he just appeared on the screen. I never actually felt sorry for him because he had that kind of a forever happy demeanor to him and I was just glad that he finally came out and enjoyed his life.

Oliver, on the other hand, was great at embodying the sadness and overall depression with the slightly funny moments of him actually having a chat with his dad’s, now his dog Arthur. Lovely name by the way, reminds me of a really good friend, who also looks intelligent, but more in a human way… and no, he’s not my imaginary friend! Ewan, who I love, did a nice job, it wasn’t a role that made him shine but it did make me want to see The Ghost Writer again. That was a great movie! I should really watch that one for the fourth time now.

Anyway, what else can I say, I feel like everything is said because Beginners doesn’t let you tell a lot without giving away too much and I already have filled this post with spoilers. I did leave one of the relationships out and I will leave it out because if you haven’t seen Beginners, the mystery character is certainly worth to check out as well. By the way, if you think about it, Beginners doesn’t have a bad character! It really doesn’t portray anybody in a completely bad light but it shows somehow the humanity in all of them and there’s nothing wrong with being like that. All in all, I liked it, it wasn’t my favorite but it was certainly a good one.