"Beginners" feels like a kinder, gentler "Blue Valentine" except that instead of two people caught in a dysfunctional relationship, you have a couple of people who are just kind of sad. The film had some very poignant moments and some laugh out loud jokes but I couldn't shake the feeling that these were two people who were just plain sad and there was just a Woe is Me cloud that hung over the whole picture. Whereas "Blue Valentine" showed the destructive power of love, I never really bought into the love story or the struggle in this film. I mean, when the beautiful Melanie Laurent picks you up at a party, I'm sorry but it's hard for me to look at you and go, "Aw, poor sad fella".

All that being said, it was a well made, quality movie that I could see a lot of indie filmgoers enjoying. It just struck me as exactly the kind of film that art house people love and most mainstream audiences aren't moved by. Although, the hipsterish art house people will probably find flaws with the fact that much of this film has been done before and done better. There were consistently moments in the film that I enjoyed but called to mind other similar moments from better films.

In the end, unless you're a cinephile who loves going to the theater, Beginners is the kind of film that I'd recommend adding to your Netflix queue and enjoying more as a rental.