The Beaver

Watching mad Mel talking to everyone through the beaver puppet provided some good laughs, there's something very twisted in the humor of it all, and how far it all goes. I mean he doesn't EVER take the puppet off of his hand. Not when he sleeps, not when he takes a shower, not even when he's making love to Jodie Foster. It's funny in a really fucked up way. But it's the reactions of everyone around him that makes it all so amusing, and also keeps things from becoming too silly.

While watching this I could'nt help but think back to a little movie called Lars and the Real Girl in which a socially awkward man begins dating a sex doll. It sounds weird, and it is, just like this movie. But the difference between that movie and The Beaver is the brilliance of the payoff, which The Beaver lacked. You're watching silly ol' Mel walking around talking to everyone through a hand puppet and initially find it crazy and humorous, but eventually the joke runs cold and the plot feels like it's just spinning its wheels. I just wasn't satisfied with the overall outcome or results that came from using the puppet.

I think the thing I enjoyed the most about the movie was the subplot involving Gibson's son and the smoking hot valedictorian played by Jennifer Lawrence. He writes his schoolmate's papers for them for cash, and she hires him to write her graduation speech, which I just thought was cool. But the relationship they form and the truth we learn about both of their pasts was pretty compelling. And I thought Lawrence and Yelchin both gave fantastic performances. Hell everyone gave a great performance, especially Jodie Foster. Who also directed, which I thought was kind of weird.

BOTTOM LINE: I liked it. I was very fond of how bizarre it all was and I'm always down for a good dark comedy, which this is most definitely dark, sometimes maybe a little too dark. But my biggest problem is it just isn't as clever as it wants to be. I guess in the end I was just disappointing with the payoff. Still a decent movie though, I recommend it.