Film Review: ‘The Beaver’ including videos from Q&A with Jodie Foster!

It’s hard to describe one’s reaction to The Beaver. It’s even hard to say if I even really liked it. It’s definitely one of those films that one needs to sit back and think “what did I just watch?” But there are some truths that are evident: Mel Gibson gave one of the best performances of his career and you’ll never look at a beaver puppet the same again.

The Beaver is about a very depressed man, Walter (Mel Gibson), who finds and uses a beaver puppet to communicate with his family and others. Through the beaver, he can be the man he used to be, loving, uplifting, helpful, smart and inquisitive. The beaver puppet/personality brings the best out of him. At the same time, the beaver is taking over, making his wife (Jodie Foster) and family tired and fed up with this new act.

The number one most important thing to say about this film is that it is NOT a comedy. Luckily, the guy introduced the screening, warning us of this misunderstanding. And now I’m warning you, if you decide to see it. The way Summit Entertainment markets this film gives the wrong impression. Summit makes some of the worst trailers too. Whoever is in charge of marketing or trailers or whatever should GTFO! *snaps the Z* My grandma, who only knows how to use a computer to play Solitaire, can probably make a better trailer than Summit. Alright, so now that you’ve seen that I’ve gone way off course, just remember: Don’t judge The Beaver by its trailer. (Actually, don’t judge any Summit movie by its trailer.)

Back to point, the movie has a lot of laughs, but they’re uncomfortable. They’re moments that shouldn’t be funny, but you can’t help but guffaw at them. It really toys with your emotions that way. I felt bad laughing at some parts because Gibson’s character is deeply depressed. He’s very sick, and while the movie seems to progress into something uplifting, it’s all superficial. I saw all the small moments and hints that Walter was getting worse.

Whether or not you like Mel Gibson, you cannot deny how great his performance is. I mean, before I was sort of weary of him because of all the scandals that surround him, but after this performance, it really reminded me why the guy is famous; he has talent. The rest of the performances are great. I was also impressed by Anton Yelchin. He plays Walter’s oldest son, and he despises every little thing about his father. The father-son relationship in the movie is my favorite thing about it. It’s dynamic, well-acted, and emotional.

As much as I love Jodie Foster, I’m not too crazy about her directing skills. That doesn’t mean she’s a bad director.  Maybe it’s just me, but I didn’t like or understand some of the shots. But there were several that I found pretty cool and clever, most of those involved the beaver puppet. But one thing she does perfectly is draw out great performances from everyone. Foster played the wife well; you understood her struggles with dealing with a depressed husband. I liked her enough not to hate her for wanting to leave her husband. Foster and the writer make the audience understand why she feels the way she does, and that was very important for her character.

On a side note, as a Hunger Games fan, this is the first time I’ve seen Jennifer Lawrence act. She plays a small part, but she’s solid and I was impressed with her performance. I’m very excited to see her play Katniss. (And yes, I know, I know, I should go see Winter’s Bone. I’ll get to it eventually.)

I find it astounding that at the beginning of this review, I didn’t know what to say about The Beaver. Well, it looks like I had plenty. For film buffs, I say go see it! It’s definitely a performance driven film, and that makes it worth it. In general, it’s such an odd film, I can’t tell who will like or hate it. I will say that it a good movie to take a chance on.

The Beaver comes out May 6^th in select theaters.

I was SO lucky to go to a post-screening Q&A with the awesome Jodie Foster. She’s much more awesome and pretty in person. But she answered some really great questions, and I recorded a few for you guys to check out and watch. To see photos from the Q&A, check out our Facebook page. Enjoy!

Foster talks about how and why she chose to make this film and why she refused the change the title of the movie.

Foster talks about how she directs actors and the father/son relationship in the movie.

Foster talks about depression and the accent of the Beaver.

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