BEGINNERS, written and directed by Mike Mills, 104 minutes, USA, 2011; starring Ewan McGregor, Christopher Plummer, and Melanie Laurent

I can’t say enough good things about “Beginners”.  It was well crafted, authentic, intelligent, post-modern, and didn’t devolve into the confessional doldrums that afflict most memoirs.  Some scenes were firmly planted in mumble core and worked beautifully.

“Beginners” was a risky endeavor for Mike Mills both artistically and personally.  It was his personal story up there on the big screen, but it expressed the universal.  The use of second person voice over was daring and brilliant. 

The refrains made up of family snapshots, magazine photos, and artwork along with the voice over worked nicely to re-set the time frame and reaffirm point of view.   They were like welcome rest stops along the journey.  They helped ground the narrative progression that swirled backward and forward, from past to present.

The relaxed and natural performances of Ewan McGregor, Christopher Plummer, and Melanie Laurent carried the film.  I felt like I was involved and witnessing their lives rather than detached and watching their lives from a distance.  This is cinema at its best.