5/15/11

The Beaver

Clinical depression is not to be taken lightly. In this excellently acted film, we see this cursed tendency has been passed down from father to son, generation after generation. That being said, you know this is not going to be a romp in a sunny field, don't you.

I'd like to discuss the cast:
  • Jodie Foster ("The Brave One") not only anchors the cast as the long-suffering wife and mother, she also directed this piece. We have come to expect top-notch work from this classy professional, and she doesn't let us down.
  • Mel Gibson ("Edge of Darkness") proves again what a fine actor he is. Nothing I can say will change your mind about this guy on a personal level, so trust me when I say he is convincing as a clinically depressed man who has finally reached a point where his only means of communication is through a hand puppet, the eponymous beaver.
  • Anton Yelchin ("Terminator Salvation") is amazing as the son who is scared to death he is taking after his father. This boyish-looking actor has been impressing us since he was eleven years old! He plays high-school students, murder victims, teenage con men and of course, he is Chekov in the newly revamped "Star Trek" franchise; in THAT one his hilarious (indecipherable) Russian accent is pretty authentic, he was born in St. Petersburg.
  • Jennifer Lawrence ("Winter's Bone") is the class valedictorian who needs a speech writer. This is a lighter role than that earlier one but she is very good.
We see the way depression radiates throughout a family, causing confusion, stress and heartbreak. Again I emphasize, it is not something to be taken lightly and Director Foster keeps us rooting for the family all the way.