Beginners (2011)
dir: Mike Mills
Mike Mills seems like a pretty cool guy. Of course I don’t have much to base that on, aside from a brief interview I heard with him on NPR and this movie, having skipped out on what is probably his other most well-known film, 2005’s Thumbsucker. Although now that I’m thinking (and writing) about it, I may have actually seen that one and just have no memory of it. Maybe it was terrible? Probably just mediocre. Either way, I had pretty much no expectations going into Beginners aside from recently tuning in to that interesting aforementioned interview and a surprising desire to take my girlfriend to see a romantic comedy. Surprising not because I’m a shitty guy who never does things for his lady, but because my lady happens to have pretty good taste in things and was understandably perplexed—and a little bit annoyed—by my unprecedented desire to take her to see a romantic comedy. It figures that this wouldn’t turn out to be a romantic comedy at all, but rather a creatively pieced-together memoir of life that most likely originates from Mills’ own vaguely disguised personal experiences.
I’ve never been one to pop off much of a load over sentimental musings delivered with what the (boring) kids refer to as a “twee” sensibility, but luckily Mills avoids falling into that regrettable territory through a precisely crafted combination of genuine, humanistic storytelling and the time-warping, montage-indebted style of pacing and editing that was unfortunately made overly adorable (and briefly popular) by Jean-Pierre Jeunet with 2001’s Amélie. Yes, the characters in Beginners can come across as fairly precious artist-types with a little too much time on their hands and seemingly inexhaustible incomes, but they are also portrayed in a realistic, warts-and-all manner, their attributes instantly recognizable as those of actual humans, probably due to Mills’ own existence as a graphic artist. Their stories are relatable to anyone who a) has a family, b) has a job or c) has been romantically involved with someone else. The performances from all of the leads are fantastic. Ewan MacGregor continues his career as one of our most underrated current actors that also happens to have an adorable face and a thinly veiled accent that drives the girls wild, and Chrisopher Plummer is absolute perfection here. The movie could have been about him alone and it would be worth the price of admission, and possibly a small box of popcorn for whomever you brought along with you in your shallow attempts to appear softhearted and mature. Luckily for you and your conniving genitals, this movie is pretty great all across the board, and you and your date will probably leave the theatre feeling so simultaneously inspired and wistful that you’ll break into a hotel swimming pool, share stories about your first flirtations with love, and fingerbang the night away. Did I just make this weird?
More reviews after the jump…
Beginners (2011)
dir: Mike Mills
Mike Mills seems like a pretty cool guy. Of course I don’t have much to base that on, aside from a brief interview I heard with him on NPR and this movie, having skipped out on what is probably his other most well-known film, 2005’s Thumbsucker. Although now that I’m thinking (and writing) about it, I may have actually seen that one and just have no memory of it. Maybe it was terrible? Probably just mediocre. Either way, I had pretty much no expectations going into Beginners aside from recently tuning in to that interesting aforementioned interview and a surprising desire to take my girlfriend to see a romantic comedy. Surprising not because I’m a shitty guy who never does things for his lady, but because my lady happens to have pretty good taste in things and was understandably perplexed—and a little bit annoyed—by my unprecedented desire to take her to see a romantic comedy. It figures that this wouldn’t turn out to be a romantic comedy at all, but rather a creatively pieced-together memoir of life that most likely originates from Mills’ own vaguely disguised personal experiences.
I’ve never been one to pop off much of a load over sentimental musings delivered with what the (boring) kids refer to as a “twee” sensibility, but luckily Mills avoids falling into that regrettable territory through a precisely crafted combination of genuine, humanistic storytelling and the time-warping, montage-indebted style of pacing and editing that was unfortunately made overly adorable (and briefly popular) by Jean-Pierre Jeunet with 2001’s Amélie. Yes, the characters in Beginners can come across as fairly precious artist-types with a little too much time on their hands and seemingly inexhaustible incomes, but they are also portrayed in a realistic, warts-and-all manner, their attributes instantly recognizable as those of actual humans, probably due to Mills’ own existence as a graphic artist. Their stories are relatable to anyone who a) has a family, b) has a job or c) has been romantically involved with someone else. The performances from all of the leads are fantastic. Ewan MacGregor continues his career as one of our most underrated current actors that also happens to have an adorable face and a thinly veiled accent that drives the girls wild, and Chrisopher Plummer is absolute perfection here. The movie could have been about him alone and it would be worth the price of admission, and possibly a small box of popcorn for whomever you brought along with you in your shallow attempts to appear softhearted and mature. Luckily for you and your conniving genitals, this movie is pretty great all across the board, and you and your date will probably leave the theatre feeling so simultaneously inspired and wistful that you’ll break into a hotel swimming pool, share stories about your first flirtations with love, and fingerbang the night away. Did I just make this weird?
More reviews after the jump…
The Baby’s Room (2006)
dir: Alex de la Iglesia
I seem to know a lot of people these days who have either just had a baby, are currently having a baby right now, as I sit here typing this and thinking about how happy I am not to be having a baby, or who have a bun in the oven, as is often said by people my mother’s age. And yes, it is totally weird. Thanks for asking. I’m not entirely sure what my own aversion is to the idea of fatherhood, but I imagine it is rooted strongly in the combination of my own admitted Olympian levels of irresponsibility and financial woe, the already rampant human overpopulation that is quickly transforming our great green earth into a blurry flesh-colored shit sponge, and the fact that poop smells and is a bummer to clean. I’ve always been happy to hang out with other peoples’ babies, though, and I mean that in the most harmless and non-NAMBLA way possible. Some people are afraid of babies, but that’s about as reasonable as being afraid of a paralyzed cat, or a wet paper bag full of smells. Babies are harmless.
Unfortunately for all of the optimistic and physically functional young couples out there popping out offspring like human pitching-machines (as opposed to actual human pitchers), there are many things that go hand-in-hand with having a baby that will fucking kill you. Of course one of the most serious is the possibility that your baby monitor will eventually reveal the existence of an alternate universe where danger lurks in every dark corner! Alex de la Iglesia’s film is an effectively terrifying and occasionally hilarious joyride for those of us who enjoy our horror to a bit more lighthearted at times, although it never loses its ability to make you turn back on some of the lights you though you were too tough to need. It was originally filmed as part of a Spanish television film series, so the production values aren’t always top-notch. But the direction remains confident and technically adept throughout, and the two leads really heighten the overall affect of the film by portraying their characters as such a down-to-earth and loving couple that you want nothing more than for everything to work out. It’s hard to say much about this one without spoiling its charms, so I’ll just recommend it wholeheartedly for your next rainy night in the house, and encourage you to be as excited as I am about Iglesia’s upcoming The Last Circus.
The Adjustment Bureau (2011)
dir: George Nolfi
Philip K. Dick was a beast. His stories seem to lend themselves well to film adaptation, usually resulting in movies that range from totally classic (Bladerunner) to simply very good (Minority Report). As a Dick adaptation (LOL), The Adjustment Bureau is surprisingly mediocre. Having never read the original short story that it’s based on, I can only assume that some fairly significant changes were made, mostly for the worse. It’s not that there’s anything particularly bad about the film; it just fails to leave much of an impression. The story is standard Dick (again, LOL), concerning as it does a man who makes the accidental discovery that things are not what they seem. What follows is about 40% thriller, 10% half-assed philosophical debate, and 50% standard Hollywood romance. Matt Damon puts in a characteristically strong performance, bringing a surprising knack for comedic timing to an otherwise lackluster script. Dude has some classic facial responses (LOL?) to absurd situations, and it’s inherently funny that the basic storyline revolves around his character attempting to thwart the forces of fate basically so he can get laid. I guess we can all relate to that? Still, it’s hard to recommend dedicating the entire running time to watching this semi-engaging film based on a few good ideas and the occasional comedic moment. You could just spend that time reading the short story instead. I mean, I haven’t read it myself, but I’m also sitting in front of my computer at 11:30 at night while the rest of the world drinks beer and has fun, typing out words about a movie that I didn’t even like and wearing a stained T-shirt that simply says “BURGER.” There is no reason to be like me.
