“Beginners” Movie Trailer Review

“Beginners”

Movie Trailer Review

By our gues blogger, Joe Oliveto

Usually, films about a depressed young man (who has to pretend he isn’t as attractive as the audience knows he is) meeting a pretty, eccentric and strong-willed girl are a dime a dozen. Too often, the only thing separating “indie” comedies from “Along Came Polly” is the fact that the female romantic interest isn’t played by someone who used to be on “Friends.”

And yet, despite being another entry into that familiar subgenre, “Beginners” looks like it has real promise. Part of that probably has to do with the talent in front of the camera. Ewan McGregor is one of the strongest actors of his generation, and Christopher Plummer is one of the strongest actors of any generation. Melanie Laurent, who channeled Sigourney Weaver’s badass confidence for her performance in “Inglourious Basterds,” rounds out an impressive cast.

Director Mike Mills has earned acclaim for his independent films, and even if “Beginners” fails to score more than a limited release, dedicated fans of his work may seek it out anyway.

While it definitely does appear to follow a fairly standard romantic comedy formula, an added element is thrown into the mix in the form of a subplot involving Plummer’s character admitting to his son that he is, and always has been, a gay man. Perhaps a more sensitive and unique film could have been made about his character alone, but as it is, audiences still tend to prefer movies about heterosexual relationships between a good-looking female and male lead.

Simply put, “Beginners” looks like it will be one of those delightful gems. An independent film that doesn’t think it’s too smart to be “mainstream” with a script that is first and foremost about the trials of being a human being. The few moments of comedy that the trailer exposed us to got the laughs they were aiming for, and while it appears that we an expect a conventional happy ending, when we're really honest with ourselves, there's nothing wrong with that. A film's worth isn't measured by how much it depresses viewers, though we can sometimes forget that.

Plus, there’s a talking dog. Sort of.

View the trailer below.  Thoughts?