A BEGINNERS GUIDE TO ENDINGS
Canada, 2010, 93 minutes, Colour.
Harvey Keitel, Scott Caan, J.K.Simmons, Paulo Costanzo, Jason Jones, Jared Keeso, Tricia Helfer, Wendy Crewson, Stephen Mc Hattie, James Preston Rogers, Siam Yu.
Directed by Jonathan Sobol.
The invitation is to pay attention to the title of this film, the emphasis on endings – and death – and beginner’s luck and lack of luck concerning death.
Harvey Keitel’s initial voice-over tells us of his impending death – and then the revelation that his four sons, from various mothers, have little time to live. In their childhood, he contracted to get some money by making them participate in a medical experiment, taking tablets, which means that they have a limited lifetime.
The film is mainly about the brothers, each eccentric in their own way, life at home, interactions, careers, especially in boxing, relationships…
With all these ups and downs, they finally discover, as, perhaps, they always should have known, that their mother did not agree with the medical experiment and substituted harmless tablets instead of those prescribed.
A lot of the comedy is tongue-in-cheek, sometimes broad, some moments of subtlety, a Canadian entertainment.
1. The title, comic, expectations?
2. Knowing a greater, homes, jobs, church, pipes and experiments? The musical score?
3. Duke, his voice-over, his story, his bad life, the explanation of each son, the different mothers, his comments on each? Going to die? His narration, the pork, the Roebuck and the log, the different attempts, his reminiscing, his requests? Arriving in Viagra, the two weeks, the irony is, saving Jacob, going over the falls? Dying happy?
4. His will, the gathering in the church, uncle Pal? Cal arriving late, banking up the woman, the fight, Nuts explaining how to punch? The gathering afterwards, the drinking, the letter, the news about the pills and the experiment, their impending deaths?
5. The flashbacks, Duke and his arrangement with the company, the pills, putting them in the fridge? His taking the money, the flashbacks showing him gambling it all away? The small amount left in the bequests?
6. The irony of their mother, telling that they were not dying, the fact that she substituted the pills for peppermints?
7. The Brothers, interactions amongst themselves, in the house?
8. Nuts, boxer, his failures, the clashes with the brothers, using Juice box, with the manager, the deals, his brother having to fight, seeing the champion, his fears, his conscience and his taking his place, going into the ring, the electricity blackout, knocking at the champion, winning? And his throwing syllabi at the window and hitting big Mitch?
9. Jacob, about to die, his holding a job, making a bucket list, sharing it with his brother? During the opposite in his life, the car, the tenant to and it paying, diving, the collage of all his activities, the humorous sequence and his talking to the girl about his smile and her smile? 19 on the preparation, in the container, his mother trying to stop him, stuck in the container, snagged on the branch and his being rescued?
10. Cal, the womaniser, the troubles, his deciding to reform because he was dying, the plan to see Miranda, not having seen her since school, the three husbands, travelling, finding her, her happiness in seeing him, going to the bar, Big Mitch, the challenge, the wood and nails, Mitch and the silver bar hitting him, the train tracks, trying to break the handcuff, cutting off his hand? His being a good sport? Cal and his coming to his senses?
11. Juice box, slow witted, with the brothers, going to fight, preparations, seeing the champion, the years ?
12. Little boy, sensible, all the activities, his funny remarks, sharing with Jacob?
13. The mother, coming to their rescue, the happy household at the end?
14. Importance of all coincidences, all coming together, the humour, saving the brothers, and a happy ending?
