Thumbsucker director Mike Mills’ deeply touching representation on how the past, present and future offer oblique guides to defining the cycle of life and the father-son rapport, this just interpretation of what it looks like to commence a new chapter in one’s life is a wonderfully constructed, highly personal and honest reflection that demonstrates how life and film can be calibrated to incorporate comedy in drama and drama in comedy. The perfectly cast foursome of players in Ewan McGregor, Mélanie Laurent, Christopher Plummer and a Jack Russell who reminds us that there aren’t that many films where a talking animal actually works, Beginners could easily be considered as this year’s best sophomore film. This interview was conducted last September where Beginners premiered at the Toronto Int. Film Festival.