The Beaver (2011) Reviews

• 10 out of 10 for Gibson's bravery

  laura_macleod2011-12-05

  OK, Mel Gibson used to be a very hot actor that everyone loved. Then he became famous and got caught in the trap of celebrity and fame. His aged face tells the story. The Beaver is not going to win any awards; not because it isn't a good movie - it is. However, with the history behind it of Gibson's rants and misdemeanors and the way he has offended the big boys of Hollywood; Gibson has no where to go anymore. But then he has great friends like Jodie Foster who believed in him and that is why The Beaver is a fascinating film - it tells the story of Mel Gibson and it is clothed in another tale that is probably highly unlikely in real life - BUT, it does explain why Gibson acted the way he did reading between the lines. The Beaver is the story of a man in a nervous breakdown, communicating to the world through a beaver hand puppet during his breakdown and then to the point of total collapse. In between this tale, is the effect on his family , his work and how the world sees him. The theme of the film is mental illness and Gibson does a fine fine job in acting - he really is a tremendous actor. What is really important here, is that Gibson bears his soul through the channel of the film script and I find that very admirable. It is his way of explaining himself and it is a humbling act. I have to admire Jodie Foster too because she is fearless. As the opening credits roll we see that the film has been financed by an Abu Dhabi film production company - how very obscure and not often seen in a Hollywood production. But of course, this is not a Hollywood production - this is a story beyond that - Hollywood is ruled by certain groups of people that Gibson offended - it takes brave people to tell their story against the odds.

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• Watch it once ... then never again.

  Glock_Boy2011-09-30

  Give it to Mel Gibson. The man can act. He is one of the best and does not disappoint. I rented this simply because I couldn't take the curiosity any longer. I had no idea what it was about. Every performance here is solid and believable and deep. The movie is about depression. So don't be surprised if you are left feeling ... depressed. I was. The movie concluded with an upbeat feel, but left me yearning for more. This is one of those movies that, well, you watched it; you knew you had to - kind of like Schindler's List - then you put it away to never visit it again because you know the emotional pain that it delivers.

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• Broken Man Facing His Demons Works for Gibson

  lmelnick-999-2604242011-03-18

  Although it's difficult to watch Mel Gibson now without the backdrop of alcoholism, abuse, bigotry, rants and disappointment, this role may actually be the perfect role for him to re-appear on the screen with sympathy and hope of redemption. He plays this role perfectly and the viewer is sucked into the emotion and distress of all characters dealing with their own challenges. It's a beautiful movie with a powerful message. Some have criticized Jodie Foster's directing, but I found the film to be very balanced with the right amount of comedy and tragedy. I loved the camera work and editing, especially with the Beaver as its own character. I also liked the secondary storyline about the teenagers. All the performances were very good. I think the entire movie is very well done, and although I have not changed my personal opinion of Mel Gibson at all, the movie does make you very sympathetic towards families dealing with crisis including his own, and as an actor, he pulls off a very difficult role.

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• Mel may be flawed in life but the movie is a keeper

  Jawsphobia2011-05-06

  I'd give this movie a full ten if not for confusion over the "weighted average" system in which IMDb supposedly disregards a lot of extreme highs or lows. And speaking of highs and lows, who better than a bi-polar actor to not only accept a stigmafied role of someone with a mental disorder but also to get past that and offer the meat and potatoes of entertainment as well? Full disclosure: I am on Team Mel when it comes to an ex girlfriend making headlines with her personal life with reckless disregard for the personal and professional toll; an overkill gesture followed-up ultimately by withdrawal of charges. . . I won't get into debates over context and word choices in someone's private conversations or during a fit of rage. But others like to, and perhaps for that reason I was only one of about 21 people in the late showing of The Beaver opening night at the Varsity in Toronto, cinema 8. Apparently the VIP cinema there had a screening that started 20 minutes earlier, but I don't know how that or earlier screenings were attended. I'm hoping the movie does better. Even with a small crowd, the audience I was in responded with laughter where appropriate, and the atmosphere was often charged with anxious energy. Jodie Foster is very dear in her own performance, and her directing choices don't falter. Mel gives glimpses of his goofy persona and one can speculate about which bits of whimsy might have been his contributions, but he also lets us dislike the character a bit or the condition he suffers and the film goes to some dark places. Nobody in the theatre dared laugh at the point that is most drastic and also anxiety inducing. In someone else' hands this film could easily be a TV Movie of the Week. The woman who played the Sheriff in Signs is again Mel's confidant in The Beaver for the half of the story involving his business. Anton Yelchin (the new Scotty in Star Trek) is impressively grounded even as he suffers through some of his father's inherited symptoms and those typical of teens anyway. If you are poisoned against Mel, I'm not going to say go see it but I'll go out on a limb and suggest that one of the opening sequences where he is at his lowest ebb might be especially entertaining for people who hate him and there is a certain gallows humour that might allow you to relax your guard. The daring premise and loving execution of the film from everyone involved is a nice mix and the film deserves a better fate than it is likely to get with gossips fanning the flame of scandal. "Everyone loves a train wreck, especially one they're not in." - The Beaver I know people are clogging the box office lines for Thor this weekend, and I haven't heard anything negative about that movie but I'm glad I saw The Beaver and that I can honestly say it is more than just weird; it is actually also out on a limb and inspiring without feeling like a cheat. That's my two cents anyway.

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• Mel nails the accent!

  hendry-robert2011-05-28

  It really sounds to me like Mel Gibson has modelled the voice and the accent for the puppet on Ray Winstone which shouldn't surprise me considering they have worked together in the past. However, top marks to Mel for that one because you really could be forgiven for thinking Ray did a voice-over for the puppet. In general this is not the usual style of film I would watch but I really must say I was most pleasantly surprised at how engaging it was. For me at least, this was down to the Beaver (yes I realise how that sounds) but the remarkable thing is that I forgot it was a puppet controlled and voiced by Mel. I really began to see it as a complete separate character and it just gave the film whole other dimension. Performances from Gibson and Foster were excellent (as you would expect). Their acting was totally spot on, never once seeming over the top or forced. Jodie Foster has done a sterling job on the directors chair skilfully taking the viewer on a journey in what I would have thought not a particularly easy film to direct. There are some humorous moments but this is not a comedy. You will occasionally laugh, and at times you will tense up during some of Gibsons darker moments. But that is a job well done from all. This is certainly not a film for everyone but if you like a movie that's choc full to the brim with the human element, excellent acting and directing then I really would recommend it.

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