It's Lonely Out Here So You Better Learn How To Talk

Actor From Previous Movie: Mélanie Laurent (Shosanna Dreyfuss, Anna)
Where to Watch: Netflix

I’m not typically one for romance. More often than not I find that love stories aren’t strong enough to carry an entire plot. This is especially true because most love stories follow the same narrative: they meet, they fall in love, they break up, they get back together. For me to enjoy romance, there needs to be something extra. For example, I enjoyed the movie Carol for technical reasons, the great performances by Rooney Mara and Cate Blanchett, and because it showed a kind of romance that has been ignored or mistreated by society. It was unconventional and even though the plot was sort of weak because it centered around a relationship, it had depth to it.

Beginners is more than a love story. As important as the relationship between Oliver and Anna (Ewan McGregor and Mélanie Laurent) was the story of Oliver’s father Hal (Christopher Plummer) who comes out as gay shortly after being diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. It was a heartfelt look at Hal finding his place in a community while at the same time having to say goodbye to it.

The technical aspects of the movie are what make it beautiful. The camera work and offbeat tone reminded me of Wes Anderson. The soundtrack didn’t stand out much, but it was nice and fit the feeling of the movie well. The script, written by the director Mike Mills, was full of quirky comedy but also touching sincerity. It makes sense that Mills based the story on his own life, because Oliver’s relationship with his father feels very real.

One of my favorite things about the movie was the relationship between Hal and Georgia, Oliver’s mother. While Georgia sometimes drifted into Manic Pixie Dream Girl territory, it was that quirkiness that made her my favorite character. The parallel drawn between Hal and Georgia hiding who they were in a world that wouldn’t accept them was unexpected and incredibly moving. Sadly, we only get to see Georgia in flashbacks, so we don’t get a full view of her life as a Jewish woman at a time when Jews were persecuted or much her life once she felt safe and proud to be Jewish. I thought this comparison between them was a creative and interesting aspect of the movie.

Altogether, I liked the film. Some things I found a bit too cutesy, like Oliver’s depression inspired artwork and the dog who could communicate through subtitles, but I thought the quirkiness never went overboard. Oliver and Anna’s relationship may have at times seemed too idealized, but they were enjoyable enough characters that I was never bothered by it. I thought it was funny that Mélanie Laurent played an actress, as if she’s too pretty to be believable as a normal person. If I had to describe the movie in one word, it would be "charming."