Mike Mills’ Beginners is a vastly underrated movie. It didn’t get much attention when it came out and hasn’t received very much at all since. This is too bad, because not only are people missing out on a beautiful little film about a father and son and combating loneliness, but they’re missing out on Cosmo, the adorbs little Jack Russell Terrier that plays Ewan McGregor’s sidekick, Arthur.
He’s featured in a lot of key scenes, but most of all he’s the one guy who seems to always be there for the McGregor’s character, Oliver. Their rapport is rather sweet, with Oliver speaking to him as he would to any human companion, showing him around his new house, introducing him to people at parties. Arthur’s responses are occasionally recorded with humorous subtitles. This works as a charming mechanism to let us into both character’s thoughts, or perhaps just Oliver’s. Some have observed that when he’s talking to Arthur, he’s really talking to his father. Cosmo is probably only slightly less cute than Christopher Plummer is here.
Continue reading on the next page…
Published: May 18, 2013 03:56 pm