The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
We decided to see this movie on a whim and caught the late show. I did not know much about the movie except that it was about a guy who aged backwards. I did not know that it was almost 3 hours long. I probably would not have seen it when I did if I had known this. However, I must say, that it did not seem so long as I was watching it.
I enjoyed how they brought the story together from two differing time line perspectives. One where Cate Blanchett’s character is dying and is sharing the story with her daughter. The other from the perspective of Brad Pitt’s character Benjamin Button.
Overall, the story was better than I expected. It was refreshing, moving, and very enjoyable.
[th2]
Well told story, excellent visuals
We’ve all wished we could go back to some point in our lives or get younger. This film does a great job of using that common thought to explore how we make our choices and live our lives.
I was warned by AngelGirl and TheJoe about the length and pace of this film, so I prepared to be comfortable sitting in the theater for three hours, at the very least. I actually found it to be very entertaining throughout. Usually a film on such a grand scale and length has me finding certain areas that could have been cut. I didn’t find any wasted time. Three hours was what was needed to tell the story. The pace was what was needed to tell the story right.
I found myself making comparisons to Forrest Gump, seeing a man’s personal life weaving in and out of historical events, although ‘Benjiman’ doesn’t do this nearly as much as ‘Gump’. It’s really only one layer of this movie.
I actually ran across someone a few months ago who worked for the director and saw an advanced screening of ‘Button’. His take was that Fincher had made a film that was very un-Fincher and more like Stanley Kubrick. Personally I could see the Kubrick influence, but there were also parts of the movie that were still very Fincher-like, including a very funny running gag that I’d spoil if I go into any detail.
Brad Pitt’s transformation through the film is very interesting from an acting as well as a technical view. They did a very good job making him look old, but I was more taken aback with how he was made to look younger in the later half of the movie. Whether it was makeup or some form of CG, it’s a very stunning effect. Acting-wise, how do you protray someone who gains with wisdom of living life while physically getting younger? Pitt does a great job with a challenging role.
I would say it’s worth paying full price to see in the theater once (a recommendation I don’t often make with movies of this type.)