Beginners - A-

On DVD (2011). Rated R, 105 minutes.

What a pleasant surprise.
I expected to hate this film based on the trailer and the subject matter, but found it to be a contemplative study of love and loss. Ewan McGregor stars as a graphic designer whose father (Christopher Plummer) came out of the closet at 75, after Ewan's mother has died. The film follows his recollections of his father during his gay exploration period and his own relationship with a fetching actress (Melanie Laurent). As he remembers, he deals subtly with the guilt he feels about his dad's denial of self, the weirdness of his childhood and his own relationship issues. I loved the reset sequences about the stars and 'what people looked like'. Worth your time.