Movie Review: Beginners

Do you remember when I said I would dedicate this entire month (Due to my recently celebrated 5^th anniversary [insert loud “What,What!” and fist bump]?

Remember how I profusely expressed my utter Fan-tastic (like that play on words don’t cha!) love of Indie Films?

Do you also happen to remember how LONG it’s been since I posted an Indie review?

So do I, and what better way to bounce back into action and produce a blog dedicated to love, than by blogging about such an amazingly funny, sarcastically driven, and ultimately original tale of new found love, relationship struggle, and everything in between like Beginners. I honestly think I have fallen in love all over again with Indies because of this film. It was Crisp, funny, sad at times, character driven, and superbly written. All-in-all, it was the perfect film to finish off a rainy day spent curled up on my couch with snacks and hot chocolate.

The Cast

Ewan McGregor, Christopher Plummer, Melanie Laurent, Goran Visnjic

The Story

Beginners  is a romantic comedy-drama written and directed by Mike Mills. The film engages the audience by telling the story of Oliver (McGregor), a man reflecting on the life and rather unexpected death of his father  Hal (Plummer) all while trying to fortify a new romantic relationship with a woman dealing with her own father issues.

Oliver

Is a man with a lot of emotional unresolved issues. As Oliver begins to unravel the coping phase after the death of his father Hal, the film sets the tone for several flashbacks of his relationship with Hal following the death of Oliver’s mother Georgia just years prior. Just after Georgia’s death Hal announced he was gay and began exploring his newly found social surroundings which leads him to a new (and much younger) boyfriend Andy (Visnjic). As Hal finally begins to find happiness in his life, despite Oliver’s confusion, Hal is then diagnosed with terminal cancer. Following this emotional diagnosis, Oliver decides to care for his father until his death. Months after Hal’s death Oliver meets and begins dating…

 Anna

Anna is a French actress with a rather peculiar relationship with her own seemingly unstable father. Oliver’s unresolved emotions surrounding his father’s death and ultimately his parents’ life together, along with Anna’s conflicting feelings about her father, aid to a rocky but over-the-top funny relationship, and force both Anna and Oliver to reconcile their feelings for each other and ask the million dollar relationship question…Is it all really worth it?

I loved this film and I really think you will all love it too! Happy Indies everyone!