A semi-autobiographical tale featuring jazz music, a fractured structure and adult characters looking for love — writer and director Mike Mills’ newest film has a lot in common with Woody Allen’s romantic comedy Annie Hall. And while Beginners does not have the same level of romantic insight or cinematic imagination as Allen’s 1977 classic, the new indie comedy entertainingly dissects the complexity of human relationships in American society.
The basic story of Beginners is communicated to the audience in the film’s first few minutes. In southern California, 75-year-old widower Hal (Christopher Plummer) comes out to his son Oliver (Ewan McGregor). Troubled by the idea of being “theoretically gay,” Hal decides to finally act on his sexual desires and falls in love with a significantly younger physical trainer (Goran Visnjic). After four years of living life to the fullest, he dies of cancer. The details of Oliver’s relationship with his father are relayed in flashbacks as he pursues a relationship with French actress Anna (Melanie Laurent) in the present.
An early expository scene demonstrates the film’s incredible sense of energy. As Oliver’s words highlight the societal context of the characters, the screen lights up with stills of the cosmos, presidents and people kissing, smiling and crying. Similar marriages of images and voice-over punctuate the nonlinear narrative throughout the film. Often dealing with serious issues including racism and the gay rights movement, these scenes are marked by the playfulness and formal experimentation of the French New Wave. Mills does not merely tell a straightforward story but rather investigates the way the mind processes memories and facts to make sense of human experience.
Throughout the film, historical consciousness and societal pressures influence the motivations of characters. In a flashback to his childhood, Oliver’s mother tells her son that “black music” is the best because the artists are oppressed. In a similar vein, she tells young Oliver that his father has no emotions because he is not Jewish. This scene is indicative of the film’s social commentary. Particularly in the early to mid-20th century, individuals were discriminated against because of race and sexuality, and they consequently lived their lives embracing or working against these labels. When Oliver’s parents were married in 1955, both of them knew Hal was gay. With these details, Mills explores how society shapes our mindset and the way we live our lives.
Plummer is a scene-stealer as a man finally free after decades of hiding his sexuality. Mostly known for playing old curmudgeons, Plummer imbues the character of Hal with a youthful curiosity. In one flashback, Hal calls Oliver in the middle of the night to ask about the beat-heavy tunes of a gay club, excitedly scribbling the words “house music” on a notepad. Even in scenes in which Hal’s health has deteriorated, Plummer conveys both the weariness and joy of the character. The performance is poignant, and it is a shame it will likely be forgotten early next year during awards season.
In spite of the film’s many strengths, Beginners stumbles in the depiction of Oliver’s present-day relationship with Anna. Laurent demonstrated incredible skill with her overshadowed performance as Shosanna in Inglourious Basterds. In Mills’ comedy, she gives a solid performance as a mixed-up young actress, but Anna as a character is not nearly as sophisticated or fully realized as the independent, self-made Shosanna. She lacks a certain agency and feels more like a plot device to fulfill Oliver’s desire for romantic maturation. For the most part, the romance avoids the grating cuteness that characterizes most independent films, and McGregor and Laurent have a genuine sense of chemistry. But their moments together are unoriginal compared to the beautiful flashbacks featuring Plummer.
Perhaps more problematic than the romantic scenes themselves are the manner in which they are integrated into the structure of the film. Mills often fails to thematically reconcile Oliver’s relationship with his father and his love for Anna. It is evident that Oliver somehow learns to finally love after seeing his father embrace his own joyful, horny self. Indeed, the film is ultimately about how personal and public forces in individuals’ lives influence life decisions. But the flashback structure often feels sloppy and arbitrary. Taken as a mere collection of individual moments, the film is incredibly successful, but evaluated in its entirety, it lacks a sense of cohesion.
The superiority of the material involving Oliver and Hal is likely due to its basis in the life of writer and director Mike Mills. There is an incredible amount of detail based on his experience. Like Hal, his own father enjoyed the cookies at the cancer treatment center. These details are what make the film so intriguing and unique. The personal foundation is what allows Beginners to be a movie of such heart in spite of its missteps. This summer, movie theaters are being flooded by sequels emphasizing size over substance. The personal, playful filmmaking of Beginners is a welcome respite from the bombardment of blockbusters.
Grade: B
Bottom Line: Despite its messy nonlinear structure, Beginners explores family, history and homosexuality in a smart, moving manner.