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Despite being considered a 'high-concept' film, 'The Beaver' is a strangely safe and conventional family drama, void of genuine emotion and coated with a superficial veneer. Nothing resonates.
Something felt really off about the screenplay and direction. The most compelling aspect of the story was exactly how a person could develop an illness in which they choose to communicate through a puppet - but 'The Beaver' skims over this with an unexpected montage. The audience is given no sense of how Walter Black unravels. Actually, the audience is given no sense of Walter Black at all, so therefore the beaver puppet feels like nothing more than a gimmick. I'm truly surprised to read reviews that talk about a film that explores a 'broken man's attempt to rebuild his life'.
The performances weren't up to scratch either. Anton Yelchin and Jennifer Lawrence have both proven their acting chops in previous roles - but here they are inconsistent. Jodie Foster seemed slightly uncomfortable and self-conscious (a real surprise, as she is one of my all-time favourites), so perhaps taking on both directing and acting was unwise. Gibson's performance is difficult to comment on. Asthetically he looks the part of a shattered soul, but the writing provides very little insight into the man behind the puppet.
The music was intrusive, with one of the most distracting scores I've encountered in recent memory, and one of Radioheads most emotionally devastating songs was misused in an 'are you kidding me?' moment. To be positive, the cinematography is crisp and clear - and the film is clearly ambitious....but ambition does not equal a good film.
I was expecting 'The Beaver' to be a moving exploration of the human condition, with a focus on communication and mental illness. Instead, I got a superficial family drama that spreads itself too thin. The concept of 'The Beaver' had amazing potential, but unfortunately it did not dig deep enough.
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Dylan Smith on 6/30/11 at 05:26 AM
A fine review Michael. I haven't seeen this film and from what I saw in the trailer for this production, it didn't really look that great if you ask me. In addition to that, It really seems that Gibson lost his goodwill touch in his acting since Signs, which is a shame. Anyway, a great job done Michael. I do hope you have a wonderful week and God Bless you. BTW, if you have time, be sure to check your inbox for several reviews I sent you. Thanks, come back and see me.
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Jhon E. on 6/30/11 at 05:29 AM
That sucks, I was hoping it would be decent atleast, teh story was very cool.
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Michael S. on 7/04/11 at 01:56 AM
You should still go and see it....and let me know your thoughts. One of my friends found it 'moving', and raved on...so maybe its just me.
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rodders on 6/30/11 at 05:54 AM
goood review
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H.A.K. on 6/30/11 at 09:45 AM
Good review.
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HERESSSSSSJOHNNY on 6/30/11 at 09:58 AM
I still want to see this one, that is whenever it plays around me. Great review.
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Hawaiianguy2991 on 6/30/11 at 07:18 PM
Too bad, seemed like something worth checking out. Gret review man.
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Michael S. on 7/04/11 at 06:00 PM
It is such an original premise, it did seem worth checking out...but it just felt strangely un-original. Let me know what you think if you end up seeing it.
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Rostron2 on 7/01/11 at 03:15 PM
It just didn't look that great. Thanks for the review.
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SB on 7/03/11 at 01:53 PM
I didn't bother with this one. Nice review.
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