Beginners is a lovely film about people of all ages learning to trust, love, and ultimately to enjoy life unreservedly.
Oliver (played by Ewan McGregor) is a graphic designer, and the work he produces in the film actually showcases the quirky illustrative work of the director:
Click here to go to his website.
Oliver's father, Hal, following the death of his wife of fourty four years comes out of the closet, adopts a vivacious new attitude to life and demonstrates that you're never too old to live, learn and love, proving that something special can begin at any time. The director, Mike Mills, maintains that although the film is not a personal documentary he took inspiration from his personal experiences as his own father came out as gay shortly after the death of Mike's mother.
Oliver blames his parents' obviously passionless marriage for his phobia of commitment and his tendency to let relationships fall apart, believing that they will all meet the same fate.
Cue Anna, played so adorably by the beautiful Mélanie Laurent.
The film's timeline chops and changes, spanning the blossoming romance between Oliver and Anna, the lack thereof in Oliver's parents marriage, and the period leading up to Hal's death. The time shifts chart what Oliver learns through love with his father and how this impacts on his relationship with Anna and vice versa, one seeming to have a bearing on the other even though Anna and Hal never actually meet. I particularly liked how certain scenes had echoes of each other, for example the touching scene where a young respite carer puts mousse in Hal's hair echoing back to the scene where Anna playfully messes up Oliver's hair when they first meet.
Despite some morbid themes, Mills stops the film from sinking into depressive territory and keeps it afloat with subtle but sometimes laugh out loud humour.
And of course, this guy:
And to top it off, the film is accompanied by a simple but gorgeous piano-led theme suite composed by Roger Neill, Dave Palmer and Brian Reitzell.
Beginners' Theme Suite
