Calm and lonely. Director Mike Mills's gaze full of ``Beginners''

“Gentle solitude” unique to director Mills

In delving deeper into ``Beginners,'' I would like to take a moment to reflect on his feature-length debut, ` `Thumbsucker: 17-Year-Old, Worried About My Future .''

This movie is not an original work, but an adaptation of a novel by Walter Kiln. As someone who encountered director Mills through this film, I was fascinated by his ability to capture the self-centered immaturity unique to teenagers. However, at the time, I was a high school student from a rural area with no knowledge of movies, and I have no recollection of how I came across this film, which was not a major film. He must have picked it up at a local video rental store, and must have felt an irresistible attraction to Mills' work even back then.

``Thumbsucker: 17 Years Old, My Future Is Normally Worried'' is a story about the main character, who cannot get rid of his pacifier habit even after he turns 17, and depicts his relationship with his family and his emotional growth (he plays a mentor role). Keanu Reeves' performance is excellent.) Director Mills's ``character'' has already been demonstrated in this film, and I get the impression that he has further refined his style with ``Beginners''.

It has a tranquil tone that can be described as ``gentle solitude.'' It's closely tied to Mills' personality, and it's a feature that runs through all of his films, including his 2019 short film I Am Easy To Find, starring Alicia Vikander.

『I Am Easy To Find』

Director Mills' films often lack characters who cry or scream. Abby (Greta Gerwig), who appears in `` 20th Century Women, '' is a punkish person, but she consciously releases her impulses, performs dynamic acts as a kind of performance, and suffers from real suffering. On the other hand, they are quietly enduring it. Justin (Lou Pucci), the main character of "Thumbsucker: My 17-Year-Old, Normally Worried Future," is a character with an exaggerated sense of self and a realistic naivety. He is portrayed as an introverted character.

Oliver (Ewan McGregor), the main character in ``Beginners'', is a prime example of this; even though he goes to a party surrounded by a large group of acquaintances, he is unable to fill the Intolerance in his heart. He has a hard time getting close to his girlfriend Anna (Melanie Laurent), and his father Hal (Christopher Plummer), who has come out as gay, worries about his future.

“Beginners” preview

This film is based on director Mills' real experiences, and Oliver is a character that reflects his own personality. The same goes for Jamie (Lucas Jade Zuman) in ``20th Century Women.'' In the works, they experience an indescribable loneliness and sense of placelessness, and there is no clear (yet fictional) reason for this, such as ``past trauma'' or ``the influence of a certain incident.'' He is portrayed as “that kind of person” by nature. In other words, director Mills himself has some elements of ``living with loneliness''. If you look around at his works (not just movies) with this in mind, you will find the ``softness'' and ``breathing'' mentioned at the beginning.

When watching director Mike Mills' works, loneliness is always by the protagonist's side, acting as a kind of ``sidekick.'' This essence also plays a role in bringing calmness and purity to the entire work.

Flat father-son love nurtured by lack of self-pity