The Beaver

Yes, this movie is actually called The Beaver, and yes, it’s about a grown man who rediscovers his authentic self by using a beaver puppet to communicate. No, this is not a comedy. It’s actually a rather heavy story about an alcoholic husband and father who, on the verge of killing himself, finds a puppet through which he is able to speak honestly and uses it as a way to cope with his dire reality.

Okay, so I get the idea of finding one’s true self and finding an outlet to express one’s self, but a puppet? Really? It just seems to trivialise the whole dilemma. And while the performances of Mel Gibson and Jodie Foster are near perfect I just could not get over the fact that almost the entire movie is spent listening to a Cockney sounding beaver puppet. Trés bizarre.

Rating: 3 outta 5.