Beginners is advertised as a light-hearted film in which a man played by Ewan McGregor learns following his mother’s death that his father played by Christopher Plummer is gay.  The film has a bold visual style with interstitial segments that have a collage effect, which I kind of liked, but overall this film made me feel isolated and lonely.

Normally, a serious or even tragic film is not a problem for me.  I usually feel more appreciative about things in my own life when I see characters suffering on screen.  I am empathetic but not overwhelmed personally.

Beginners, on the other hand, made me question how well we can really know another person, and how honest we can really be with ourselves.  The performances are good, writer-director Mike Mills has a distinct point of view, but I am as detached from the actual film as I am troubled by how it makes me feel.