--- title: "Beginners: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/beginners/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/beginners" critics_score: 79 critics_reviews: 17 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Beginners (2011): what the critics said Critics' score 79 from 17 reviews: 12 positive, 5 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics respond warmly to Beginners, finding its reflections on grief, love and family moving without becoming sentimental. Praise clusters around Christopher Plummer’s performance, repeatedly described as warm, funny and bittersweet. The reviews also welcome the playful visual storytelling and interwoven timelines, which give the intimate material an inventive shape. Several critics value the sympathy extended to its characters, while the romance earns praise for accommodating contradictions and the fear of loss. The reservations concern focus and emotional distance rather than the performances. The Guardian finds Oliver’s passivity and the subdued tone obstacles to engagement; Empire enjoys the film but considers it too unfocused for an unqualified recommendation. Slant Magazine, by contrast, particularly admires the fragmented approach to grief and romance. The spread runs from enthusiasm to qualified approval, with no outright negative verdicts: the principal divide is over how readily the film’s indirect storytelling draws critics in. ## Slant Magazine — Diego Semerene Rating 4/4. 31 May 2011. Semerene calls the film “the real thing,” praising its humble, fragmented approach to a life in grief and love. He particularly admires how it holds human contradictions and the fear of loss within its romance. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/beginners/) ## IndieWire — Eric Kohn Rating A-. 2 June 2011. Festival review. Kohn praises the film as a charming, gently sympathetic portrait of a midlife crisis. He singles out Christopher Plummer’s bittersweet performance and the film’s playful visual storytelling as particular strengths. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/culture/review-a-gay-dad-and-a-mid-life-crisis-mike-millss-beginners-53945/) ## Los Angeles Times — Betsy Sharkey Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 3 June 2011. Sharkey finds the film a continually surprising, amusing and introspective pleasure. She especially praises Christopher Plummer’s performance and the film’s inventive visual style. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-xpm-2011-jun-03-la-et-beginners-20110603-story.html) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Rating 3.5/4. 1 June 2011. Roger Ebert finds the film warmly affecting and thoughtful about love and family. He singles out Christopher Plummer’s performance for praise. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/beginners-2011) ## Variety — Peter Debruge Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 12 September 2010. Festival review. Debruge finds the film deeply poignant, honest, and a major step forward for Mike Mills. He especially praises its revealing autobiographical intimacy and Christopher Plummer’s liberated performance. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2010/film/markets-festivals/beginners-1117943528/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Kirk Honeycutt Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 14 October 2010. Festival review. The critic finds the film tender, funny, and emotionally genuine in its exploration of love. He especially praises its playful visual devices and the lively performances and chemistry among the cast. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/beginners-film-review-29996/) ## Time Out — Trevor Johnston Rating 4/5. 19 July 2011. The review suggests the film takes time to make an impression, and the critic initially thought less of it. The available description does not identify a specific element singled out for praise or complaint. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/beginners) ## Evening Standard Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 10 April 2012. The review finds the film charming and warmly sympathetic, with a strong emotional payoff. It especially praises Christopher Plummer’s performance and the dog’s comic presence. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/beginners-review-7425895.html) ## Empire — Anna Smith Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 27 June 2011. Smith finds the film entertaining and well made, though too unfocused to be a must-see. She praises Christopher Plummer’s performance and the affectionate, well-observed scenes of Hal’s final days. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/beginners-review/) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 21 July 2011. Bradshaw finds the film poignant and cerebral, though its subdued tone and Oliver’s passivity sometimes make it hard to engage with. He singles out Christopher Plummer’s warm, intelligent performance for praise. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/jul/21/beginners-review) ## Film Comment Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). The accessible page identifies this as a review but provides no verdict. It offers no accessible detail about what the critic praises or criticizes. [Read the review](https://www.filmcomment.com/issues/may-june-2011/?pdfviewer=issue&pdf-page=68) ## Screen Daily — Allan Hunter Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 12 September 2010. Festival review. The review's verdict is unavailable in the accessible page text. No specific element of praise or criticism can be verified. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/beginners/5018104.article) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 3 June 2011. The page is inaccessible, so the critic’s verdict cannot be determined. No praise or complaint from the review is available to identify. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/03/movies/beginners-with-christopher-plummer-and-ewan-mcgregor-review.html) ## Collider — Jake Lasker Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 1 December 2011. Lasker calls the film one of the year’s best and recommends the DVD to fans. He praises the performances and well-defined characters for keeping the romance from becoming clichéd. [Read the review](https://collider.com/beginners-dvd-review/) ## Paste — Jonathan Hickman Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 3 June 2011. Hickman gives the film an enthusiastic verdict, praising its expansive, moving reflections on love. He especially singles out the performances of Ewan McGregor and Christopher Plummer for making the story resonate. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/beginners-review) ## Eye for Film — Jennie Kermode Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 20 July 2011. Kermode finds the film an intelligent, profoundly optimistic romance that also explores how family and society shape relationships. She particularly praises its nuanced treatment of gay experience and history as part of the mainstream. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/beginners-film-review-by-jennie-kermode) ## HeyUGuys — Tracy Ladd Rating 4/5. 3 June 2011. Festival review. The critic finds the film beautifully told, emotionally rich, and worth its unconventional journey. She especially praises Christopher Plummer’s magnetic performance and the film’s interwoven timelines. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/beginners-review/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/beginners.md