Beginners (2010)

Written and Directed by Mike Mills

Starring Ewan McGregor, Christopher Plummer, Mélanie Laurent and Goran Visnjic

A young man is rocked by two announcements from his elderly father: that he has terminal cancer, and that he has a young male lover.

This movie has so much substance and thematic elements to it, it's hard not to enjoy it. A story dealing with love, life, the history of civilization between generations and gay rights, it brilliantly links all of these themes together into one coherent and emotional story.

A man so unsure about his ability to love due to the unexpected news that his father was secretly homosexual over the past 44 years, Ewan McGregor captures the confusion and insecurity of his character in a powerful performance. Winner of the Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role at the 2012 Academy Awards, Christopher Plummer delivers a stellar rendering of a man finally content and confident enough to live as he is. The acting is undoubtedly the power behind this moving film.

Delightfully humorous and painfully honest, at it's core this is a film about the growth of acceptance of homosexuals over the decades and the trials they were put through during the mid-nineteenth century. It is as relevant today as it was three years ago, and I believe it will remain so for a while.

My Rating: 8/10

Oscar Best Picture Nominee: The Imitation Game

With the Oscars coming up in a little over a week, I decided I would take these next few days to discuss my opinions of the Best Picture Nominees.

"The Imitation Game"
Directed by Morten Tyldum
Written by Graham Moore (Screenplay) and Andrew Hodges (Novel)
Starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode and Mark Strong

Based on the true story of Alan Turing and the invention of his machine that would break the enigma code that the German's used in WWII. The machine is widely considered to have helped a great deal in defeating the Nazi's by breaking their code.

Truly an incredible story of a world wide hero, this film has another, more humanitarian message. Alan Turing was openly homosexual and was for lack of a better word, betrayed by the country he worked for and saved with his life's work.

Accused of indecency for being homosexual and a teacher, Turing was given a choice. To be given hormones that would affect his health and chemically castrate him, or jail, where he would surely be beaten, raped and possibly killed for being homosexual.

Impeccably acted, scored, directed and written, "The Imitation Game" is a strong contender in this years Oscars. It is also, arguably one of the most important films nominated this year for it's civil rights subplot. It brings awareness to how poorly this man was treated. A man who saved millions of lives by breaking the German code and shortening the war significantly, chemically castrated and driven into a depression leading to his suicide for the inconsequential fact of his sexual orientation. It is truly a powerful film.

My Rating: 9/10