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

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

If you think about director Mike Mills' ``Loneliness'' a little more, you'll notice that elements of this are already there, not just in the visuals, but in the script. Even in ``Beginners'', the characters are portrayed in great detail, such as when he talks to his father's pet dog because he has trouble interacting with people, and when he hesitates and stammers, even just reading the text. Even after reading the released script , the number of "..." in Oliver's lines is impressive.

Judging from the fact that ``Beginners'' and ` `20th Century Woman '' were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and the Independent Spirit Award for Best Original Screenplay, it is clear how central the theme of loneliness that director Mills weaves is. (and how different it is from other works).

In the previous chapter, I said that ``many people have a feeling of loneliness from birth,'' but director Mills doesn't forcefully explain the dramatic explanation of ``this is why they became this way'' or to make sense of their character development. The characters appearing in the work are easy to ``breathe'' with when watching them.

It's natural for people to feel lonely, even if there's no particular reason for it, even if they have friends and are doing well at work. People who have a lot of these feelings tend to feel senseless and lonely in the gaps in their daily lives, and because of this, they are highly sensitive and have the qualities of being expressive. If you look at it from a different perspective, it can also be called a gift. This exquisite adjustment is in full bloom in his second full-length work, ``Beginners.''

“Beginners” (c)Photofest / Getty Images

It is precisely because of this premise that Ewan McGregor's naive performance is convincing, and in contrast, Christopher Plummer shines as the father who is freed from loneliness by coming out. Plummer's excellent performance in this film is worthy of winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, but we must not forget that the stage was set from the beginning of the script structure.

By the way, Plummer said he liked the lack of self-pity that comes with being gay when playing the character Hal. This is a really sharp point. Hal attempts to fulfill his role as a husband and father while his wife is alive (although this may not be ideal), and after her death he attempts to take time ``for himself''. And this way of life ultimately leads to him encouraging his son, saying, ``You should have just a little courage and live freely. Enjoy life.''

What's more, this father and son's new "first step" leads to the original title, "Beginners," which is an excellent design. Whether you are 38 years old and alone, or 75 years old and suffering from terminal cancer, you are always a ``beginner'' in life and at the same time you can make a new start. What a gentle hymn to life. It's calm and indifferent, and although there is a constant sense of loneliness, the final destination of this work is a happy ending filled with light.

The relationship between Oliver and Hal's lover, Andi (Goran Višnjic), is also very warm, and the film depicts things like ``incomprehension'' and ``prejudice,'' as well as the accompanying issues. There is no drama of sadness or anger. The lack of the usual conflict structure is also a characteristic of Mills's flat approach. Even in ``20th Century Women,'' which depicts the relationship between a mother and her mother, director Mills' perspective is always fair. It's refreshing to have a look that doesn't rely on a specific gender or age group.

This is a little off-topic, but it's also interesting to see the differences between directors Sofia Coppola and Mills, who can be called the same "illustrator of loneliness." I discussed her "loneliness theory" in another article , but director Coppola is rather a loner who "doesn't say anything" and tends to reject others, while director Mills wants to accept others but doesn't think about his own individuality. It seems that the difference in their stances lies in the fact that they are lonely and cannot say what they want to respect.

The characters in Mills's work fundamentally have a desire to be understood. However, shame, fear, and respect for the other person act as brakes that stop them from taking action. At the same time, there is a part of me that thinks that this is part of who I am. Delicate, considerate, and a little timid. However, there are certain things that I cannot compromise on... This is exactly the work of director Mills.

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