beginners (miff film #11)

After seeing Ewan McGregor on Graham Norton (my favourite late-night variety show, seriously, watch it, if you’re not already an addict) I put Beginners on my MIFF list. And I’m glad I did. Apart from featuring my girl-crush of the moment, Mélanie Laurent (Inglourious Basterds), Beginners features the cutest dog ever and he basically walks off with the film.

Beginners is a beautifully sad journey, and at the helm is Oliver. Through flashbacks and flashforwards, the audience sees Oliver dealing both with the death of his father (played by the enigmatic Christopher Plummer) and the fact that at the age of 75, his father ‘came out’. It is also a journey of love, another subject Oliver struggles with when he meets Anna (Laurent).

Director Mike Mills has created a deeply personal film with Beginners (it’s based on true events) and is well worth seeing.

4 stars!