Hollywood produces a large number of films. They arrive at theaters across the country in a steady unending stream. It is no surprise to anyone that most of these movies are exceedingly shallow and void of characters and storyline and instead substitute a host of hooks and recipes to lure the money from our pocket. Special effects, fluffy teen romance, blood and gore, comedic prate falls, and shoot em up action is where the real money is at. And even when Hollywood succeeds in some small measure to make a film of any interest, it most often will flash across our senses without leaving any lasting impression save the 90 minutes that we sit in the theater. I suppose we should be grateful for at least that.

I was fully prepared for “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” to be one such movie. Perhaps you have seen the trailers. It is a movie that tells the life of a man born old only to age backwards becoming increasingly younger as the story progresses. Ah yes, the hook. It is told in narrative form through the actions of present day characters looking backwards in time, Ah yes, the recipe. The hook and the recipe, the stage is set; all that is left is disappointment. Where could they possibly go from here? Is there really any chance that we can care about a man who ages backwards? Surely this premise is far too clichéd to pull off. Will I be cheering at the end of this movie?

As I left the theater yesterday evening I was in the midst of deep thought my emotions stretched by the film I had just witnessed. What did it all mean? Why is this film tugging at my heart asking for my empathy? Benjamin Button experiences the pages of life differently than we do. Though his eyes we are able to see life from his perspective of aging backwards. That may not seem like much but I assure you that it is this view that makes all the difference. It is a story of life lived; it is a story of great love and compassion, but most of all it is a story of the things we lose and thing we gain as we live out our time on this earth. And on this score Mr. Button delivers.

The characters in this story are as rich as any I’ve seen in a long while. The direction (David Finchner, Fight Club, Alien, Se7en, The Game) is nearly flawlessly laid out before us. It clocks in at 159 minutes, long sure, but every minute brings something to the table. The staring actors, Brad Pitt as Button and Cate Blancett as Button’s greatest love, Daisy are no less flawless in their performance. The rest of the cast are given dialogue that most any other actor would salivate for, their characters so rich in historical presence that they nearly jump out of the screen and into your hearts and minds. While I did not leave the theater cheering for this movie, it is far too thought provoking to cheer at, it is now the day after and indeed I find myself cheering. Dear reader, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a work of film art.

Mr. G

I enjoyed the fully fleshed out peripheral characters.
The tugboat captain - who is really an artist.
The pigmy, who would normally be a social outcast, found freedom of expression via his differences.
Benjamin's mother and her never ending compassion.
The oldest female to swim the English channel.
The piano teacher.
All the understanding and compassionate old people.
The man struck by lightening seven times !
The nurses in the New Orleans hospital during a hurricane.
The blind clock maker who made time reverse.

It's a lot to think about.

PS

the ending whomped me - emotionally

Oh!

The evangelical preacher preaching under the tent !

yes, Yes and YES.

Not to mention his father
Not to mention his first love

The cinematography gave the film a realistic feel; I almost know what it would be like to have lived in those early years. Each scene had the sense that it could have stood on its own as a great photograph. The scene of the tugboat at sea or the Button’s mother’s room or the father dashing through the streets at the end of the Great War. I could go on and on.

Mr. G

the dancing !

CAUTION: SPOILER


I held hope for something different but really the movie could end in no other way I can think of. It gave meaning to the reasons why Benjamin gave up his greatest and most loved possession.

I had asked you if I would be cheering as I left the theater. Sadly I was not, but I can heartily cheer now after having a day to digest what I saw.

The final scenes of Benjamin were one of the most poignantly emotional that I have witnessed in a long time, yet it was a story of triumph, a triumph of the journey of his life and not the beginning or the end. All of us have a beginning and an end and of course it’s what you do in between that really counts (preaching the choir).

Mr. G

I was on the edge of my seat when the tugboat encountered the German sub !

The peaceful scenes at Lake Pontchartrain were beautiful

“Savor it. And don't eat it all at once, because that way there's nothing left to enjoy.” Benjamin being taught how to eat caviar by his much older (or younger) first love. The comparison to life is unmistakable.

“We're meant to lose the people we love; how else are we to know how important they are to us?” and “It's not about how well you play, it's about how you feel about what you play.” Both by the Piano teacher, I think?

“You can swear and curse the fates, but when it comes to the end, you have to let go.” Benjamin speaking of his father’s end.

And perhaps my favorite, “It's never too late, or in my case too early, to be whoever you want to be... I hope you live a life you're proud of. And if you're not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again.”

Mr. G

Great images, really great.

Mr. G

Well I didn't enjoy the adultery in it frankly.

I liked the german sub's destruction.

Overall I thought the film was utter crap.

You obviously have not seen Reno911

dat isa funny show!!

No I haven't

Mr G.

My H works in the TV film industry.

We'll be watching a movie and he will lean into my ear and say something like:

"Roosevelt Hotel lobby" photo

or

"North Hollywood Church" photo

or

"Hollyhock House" photo

During the Button movie - he did this one time and I said "Stop it." I wanted to believe what I was seeing was real.

Ha Ha Ha

Has brad pitt = not spending my money

This is not a reflection on Brad Pitt per se. It is more a comment on the fact that I am not a BP fan. While others may consider him to be a fine actor, I have only seen one of his movies where I was impressed with his performance. I don't care for his acting. He's not going to lure me in.

I saw the movie as well....It was fair in my book.

I did love the wide array of characters, especially Queenie.....
I did love some of the meaningful quotes in the movie,

"We're meant to lose the ones we love, how else will we know how much the mean to us"

and especially...."Its never to late, or in my case too early, to be whomever you want to be...I hope you are living a life you are proud of. If not, I hope you have the strenght to start over"

BUT....I too did not like the adultery in the movie...the glorification of it nor the "fantasy" of it.....in fact, when they went into the elevator and Benjamin stated "this was the night of the start of our affair"....I left and went to the bathroom....I hated how she said, "During this affair we will not look at each other in the same room, see each other during the day, or ever say 'I love you'. Those are the rules"....it raised my goat and then some....though I guess you can say even that was poignant at least to the fact that an affair THRIVES on secrecy and those rules were DRAPED in secrecy....

But that whole part, which I found to be really quite insignificant, didn't have to be part of the movie....

But over all, it was okay....I can think of better movies for life lessons, "Schindler's List", "A River Runs Through It", to name a couple.....

But it was interesting to see a life played backwards....and I'm curious to know if that tale about the clock is true????

not2fun

I also did not like the adultery with his wife AFTER she had remarried.

The movie sucked frankly.

and


Is this soley based on Brad Pitt or the protrayal of infidelity or are there other reasons for your comments?

Mr. G