Aside from the chance to say the immortally immature but nonetheless funny line "I saw Jodie Foster's Beaver in Cannes" (and possibly get some T-shirts printed), The Beaver, long-billed as some sort of resurrection project for star Mel Gibson is more than a little intriguing. So, that's why it is the next addition to this year's Countdown to Cannes previews... The official synopsis says it all, despite not saying much of anything:
A troubled husband and executive adopts a beaver hand-puppet as his sole means of communicating.
Really, The Beaver looks to be a humanist tale of mental illness, familial warfare and redemption (or so it seems), with a huge, dark comic element thrown into the mix. You could safely imagine the film working without the addition of the hand-puppet, but with it and the irresistible dynamic created between Mel Gibson's character and his friends, co-workers and family and the stuffed beaver that he is apparently using to communicate better with his family. Imagine how different this film would have been if either of the first two choices to play Walter Black - Steve Carell or Jim Carrey - had got the nod instead of Gibson. I know both can manage emotionally loaded roles (and traditionally comedic actors are often the best bet for convincing pathos), but the decision to go straight offers both a jarring reaction to the lunacy of him engaging with a puppet, and the poignancy of his personal tragedy. So, even if he has been a bad boy recently, I think the casting of Mel Gibson was a genius move. At the very least, and casting a quick eye at some early reviews, it seems Gibson's attachment means the film is far more a touching and quirky portrait of mental illness, rather than the slapstick tragi-comedy it could have been in the hands of either Carrell or Carrey. And is it just me or is Mel Gibson's cockney-esque British accent not the bloody spitting aural double of Ray Winstone's gravelly tones? As an interesting side-note (well to me anyway) Anton Yelchin continues his trend of having a cool/silly name in the film, following recent high-points of Ace Zuckerman, Edvard Nitikin, Jackson Michaels (!!), Dorian Spitz and Erast Fandorin with the equally cool Porter Black in The Beaver (making him basically called Guinness). See, interesting. Reasons To Be Excited Mel Gibson. No matter what your opinion of the brazen and controversial star, the prospect of his return to the big screen is bound to be incredibly tantalising. I don't think this will be the mooted redemption, but it may well be the gateway to a more typically blockbuster-like project that might well turn the tide back in Gibson's favour. It isn't too much of a leap of imagination to see The Beaver as potentially being Gibson's About Schmidt. The premise is mouth-wateringly odd-ball, and weird means good as far as I'm concerned. Even better, the concept of a broken man living his breakdown and possibly "rebirth" through a relationship with a Beaver puppet has huge potential for touching and engaging moments, which will add some gravitas to the craziness, and I personally like the juxtaposition of surreal and emotionally loaded realism. Jodie Foster may not have the best track record as a director, but she has already shown promise in presenting emotionally loaded human stories. Some might have you believe that The beaver is her directorial debut, with her first time effort Little Man Tate coming in 1991 and sophomore offering Home For The Holidays in 1995. Both gained modest reviews, but The Beaver is an entirely different prospect indeed, and one which could well announce Foster as a proper directing talent. But Be Wary... Mel Gibson. In certain circles his name is mud, and it is difficult to know whether Gibson is going to respond well to his notably vocal dissenters. Let's not forget as well that Gibson is more than capable of making off-putting movies. The script changes have turned the original offeringly into a far more light-hearted version, albeit still wearing the self-imposed mark of darkness. Had there been that commitment to the original script's dark bravery (in it Gibson's character ends up cutting his arm off), I might have been a touch more excited. As a second side-note, and because I am incredibly fascinated by internet writers' capacity for self-indulgence and immature word play, I am presenting the "best" (or worst depending on your stance) article titles dedicated to this film that have appeared since it was announced. In no particular order then: Mel Gibson Screws Up Jodie Foster's "Beaver" Anton Yelchin Talks About Jodie Foster's Beaver Mel Gibson Ruins Jodie Foster's Beaver Jodie Foster's Beaver Opens Up This March Mel Gibson Up For Jodie Foster's Beaver Jodie Foster's Beaver To Get Public Airing Mel Gibson Works Jodie Foster's Beaver All very silly, but still snicker-inspiring, but none can beat this last addition, which wins the Steve Stifler Award for ridiculously blatant vulgarity, showing a remarkable lack of finesse and indeed even the smallest amount of brain-work: Mel Gibson to put hand up Jodie Foster's Beaver Bring the festival experience home this year on Blu-ray Disc keep up to date with all the latest Blu-ray news at the Blu-ray Disc Reporter.