The Beaver, Jodie Foster’s third directing feature, is easily her most realized work to date, thanks in large part to Mel Gibson’s inspired and riveting performance as Walter Black, a toy executive whose depression consumes his life.  After a failed suicide attempt, Black finds a puppet in a dumpster and assumes the persona of The Beaver as a way to reconnect with his family.  Foster plays Black’s wife, a woman who believes her husband will be cured, even if it slowly breaks her spirit in the process.

Walter Black’s solution to his problems is to solely communicate through the Cockney-accented Beaver, and for a spell, the plan does wonders for his marriage and his relationship with his youngest son, Henry (Riley Thomas Stewart).  At work, Walter reinvigorates his staff and develops a product which could save his company from bankruptcy (24’s Cherry Jones has a small role as Walter’s second in command).

But the couple’s reticent teenage son Porter (Anton Yelchin) doesn’t buy into this new family dynamic.  Fearful that he will inherit his father’s mental illness, Porter dreams of ditching his family and going on an elaborate road trip.  He makes money on the side writing student papers, and he even scores $500 by penning the valedictory speech of his fellow classmate Norah (Winter’s Bone star Jennifer Lawrence).  His latest writing gig strikes a rather personal chord, as both carry an emotional burden that is difficult to shoulder.

Living behind another persona only serves as a quick fix for Walter, and shielding his mental illness through a puppet exacts a heavy toll on himself and his family. It would be difficult to ignore Gibson’s highly documented demons and not assume he drew from a deep, creative well to play Walter Black.  It’s Gibson’s most unhinged performance to date (even topping Edge of Darkness and Payback), and fans of the actor will appreciate the gamble.

Although The Beaver has a clever gimmick and two A-list actors, Foster refuses to go the easy, innocuous, narrative route.   A lifelong fan of director Louis Malle (Murmur of the Heart, Atlantic City), Foster believes in the power of life’s more intimate, nuanced moments.  And although she believes in the power of family, the director understands that there is no quick fix to mental illness, and sometimes love may not be enough.  During the film’s closing moments, we listen to Norah’s unflinching valedictory speech, as she bares her soul to an unsuspecting graduating class, and like much of The Beaver’s 91 minutes, her message rings true.

The Beaver, which had its world premiere at the SXSW festival, opens in limited release May 6th.

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posted by Greg Srisavasdi