directed by Mike Mills
We’ve lost Christopher Plummer, a wonderful actor who will be missed by many. A lot of people remember him from “The Sound of Music” (1965) or the recent “Knives Out” (2019). Today, however, I’d like to recommend you the film where Christopher Plummer played a quite significant role in his career because it earned him an Oscar. “Beginners” is about Oliver (Ewan McGregor) who presents a part of his life in a series of flashbacks. Right after his mother’s death, his father Hal (Christopher Plummer) comes out to him saying he’s gay. The man even finds a much younger male partner and wants to enjoy the rest of his life in harmony with himself. Unfortunately, Hal doesn’t have much time left because he gets diagnosed with cancer. I’m sorry if you consider it a spoiler, but the fact that Hal dies is something told at the beginning of the film. As I said, we know what happened and we’re getting flashbacks of Oliver’s last few years. Right after Hal’s death, Oliver feels like he needs to start living in harmony with himself as well, so he meets Anna (Mélanie Laurent) and decides to try building a strong relationship with her. Perhaps the story is simple, because it’s basically about a man who’s lost his parents and tries to find love. But its form is quite unusual and I wouldn’t say it’s a drama. I’d call it a very dramatic comedy, because I was laughing most of the time and yet I felt a lot of emotions fighting in my head – a bit like in “Inside Out” animation, those little guys couldn’t decide what to do with me. And I think the Oscar was well-deserved because Hal is a man who knows how little time he’s got left and that he should focus on enjoying it as much as possible, not keep fighting with the inevitable. Indeed, you should try new things and keep discovering, but sometimes you need to give up and be thankful for what you’ve already got. And I am thankful for this film and this role. You will be missed, Mr. Plummer.
My rating: 7/10
S.
I have nothing to watch 