Blu-ray Review: Christopher Plummer Brings Gravity to ‘Beginners’

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CHICAGO – Mike Mills’ “Beginners” is a deeply personal piece, a drama about how one man’s choice to end his life in love and happiness impacted his son’s previously-stunted attempts at romance. It’s the kind of story that would make for great fiction but makes for merely average cinema, in no small part due to the fact that so much of the progression of its central character is internal. A stellar supporting turn by living legend Christopher Plummer helps to ground the piece, but the flawed script keeps the overall project from truly graduating.

HollywoodChicago.com Blu-Ray Rating: 3.0/5.0
Blu-Ray Rating: 3.0/5.0

Oliver (Ewan McGregor) is at a turning point. His father (Christopher Plummer) has just passed and he’s coming to terms with a number of elements of his past, most of them highlighted by the fact that dear old dad came out of the closet a few years before he died. For decades, his father was living a lie, denying himself the freedom of expression and romantic love that so many of us take for granted. When Oliver meets the gorgeous Anna (Melanie Laurent), it’s clear that his father’s decision to come out will impact a son who has previously been bottled up when it comes to romance.

Beginners
Beginners
Photo credit: Universal

While that plot description might make “Beginners” sound a bit cliched, it’s worth noting that Mills avoids melodrama. There are no grand revelations between father and son; no moment when Oliver distinctly puts one and one together regarding what he’s just been through and how it will impact his relationship with Anna. It’s the little observations that Oliver makes (seen via numerous flashbacks) — like the way his dad smiles more or how his father’s new circle of friends looks after him. I respect the avoidance of bolding or underlining the themes of “Beginners” but it honestly could have used a bit more externalization of what was clearly a very internal journey for Mr. Mills. Oliver and Anna don’t feel grounded enough as actual characters. I wanted to know them more. I wanted to know more about Oliver outside of his clever drawings, pithy narrations, and longing looks.

Thank God for Christopher Plummer. What’s amazing about Plummer’s work in “Beginners” is that he feels so much more three-dimensional than the two leads of the piece but with half the screen time. It’s something about his smile and a little wave he gives to his son that says so much about a man who has lifted decades of weight from his shoulders before he crossed the finish line of life. Plummer is a lock for an Oscar nomination for this work and reason alone to see “Beginners.”

Synopsis:
Golden Globe® nominee Ewan McGregor (Star Wars I, II, III), Academy Award® nominee Christopher Plummer (Inside Man), and Mélanie Laurent (Inglourious Basterds) star in Beginners, an uplifting comedy about how funny and transformative life can be. When graphic designer Oliver (McGregor) meets free-spirited Anna (Laurent) shortly after his father (Plummer) has passed away, Oliver realizes just how much of a beginner he is when it comes to long-lasting romantic love. Memories of his father, who, following the death of his wife of 45 years, came out of the closet at age 75 to live a full, energized, and wonderfully tumultuous gay life, encourage Oliver to open himself up to the potential of a true relationship. Inspired by writer/director Mike Mills’ own father, it’s an original love story that critics cheer is “smart, poignant and often hilarious!” (Karen Durbin, Elle)

Special Features:
o A Short Film About Making Beginners
o Beginners Promo
o Feature Commentary with Writer/Director Mike Mills

“Beginners” stars Ewan McGregor, Melanie Laurent, and Christopher Plummer. It was written and directed by Mike Mills and released on Blu-ray and DVD on November 15th, 2011.

HollywoodChicago.com content director Brian Tallerico

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

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