The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button

brennaldo · 06-02-2009 11:06PM #1

ok i wasnt pushed in seing this but i have to say it was fantastic, id definatly recommened going to it if ya havnt seen it already, brad pitt is amazing in it. This film is also so unique, its like no other film ive ever seen and its very good (imo)

MagicMarker · 06-02-2009 11:08PM

brennaldo wrote: »

This film is also so unique, its like no other film ive ever seen

Except Forrest Gump, but not as good.

SoupyNorman · 07-02-2009 01:58AM

Although I agree that it is not on the level on Forest Gump, it is similar, it is a great movie with a great story and some great acting, special effects AND humour.

To nit-pick, I think the movie would have dragged without the

"I was struck by lightening 7 times" dialogue

johnny_ultimate · 07-02-2009 12:56PM

I loved this film on a technical level - effects, stylistic touches

e.g. the lightning moments mentioned above cutting to old fashioned film

and cinematography were all absolutely astonishing. There were some terrific scenes like the

submarine attack, surreal 'clock-making' opening, faith healer etc...

. But I felt as if there was something missing overall. For such a lengthy film the main storyline was fairly simple indeed, and I really don't think they examined Benjamin as a character in as much detail as they could. Didn't feel the love story was as believable as it could've been either - in particular Cate Blanchett's character felt underwritten and at times unlikable. As said, you can't help but get a distinct Forest Gump vibe - which is a shame, because the concept is absolutely fantastic (and handled brilliantly on a technical level) and has lots of surreal, haunting possibilities.

I also hate death-bed reminiscence structures, but that's just a pet peeve of mine!

.

I did like the film, but for such an expensive, high-concept movie I did feel somewhat disappointed by it - a great concept let down by a fairly standard and unsurprising delivery.

Busi_Girl08 · 07-02-2009 10:35PM

I just saw this last night after a long wait, with pretty low expectations after seeing a rather critical response to it on the IMDb boards.

It did exceed my exectations in in the end, mainly because of its unique idea.

The thing is, it came off almost as little vignettes, that didn't really seem to link together. Some parts just DRRRRAAAAAGGGGGGGED on, particularly

his time on the tugboat/his affair

. I did like how they all kind of linked together with BB's speech at the end.

As an above poster mentioned, it did seem a bit hollow. Characters weren't on long enough for us to get to know them or decide whether or not we were supposed to like them, especially with Daisy.

The SFX and make-up was excellent, the voice dubbing they did with Ella Fanning and Cate Blanchett's voice was a little obvious (although maybe it's just because I was looking out for it).

One thing that did bother me though, I did see the return of the Dad as a bit of a cop-out. It really was just a bit of a deus ex machina. One minute there is no more mention of the Dad, and all of a sudden, "Hi there, guess who?!" And then...boom. Benjamin has a surname and his own company, give me a break

If any of you have read the original F Scott Fitzgerald short story, you may understand some of my disappointment. Originally, Benjamin was born as a 5ft 80 year old man, talking and everything, he talked with his grandfather, and was only really interested with reading encyclopedias, but obediently played with the rattle his father gave him, just to gain his approval. He then got younger in that fashion.

The way in which the love story played out seemed rather uncreative. Very Forrest Gump- Childhood friends, frequently meeting at different points in their lives briefly only to be separated by some different situation or event, or turning point in their lives. And, then they are reunited at the end...blah blah blah. The romantic Hollywood ending we have seen for decades. There was another twist with it at this point, but still, I couldn't help but hide my sense of Deja vu...
The writers had an AMAZING oppertunity with this movie, to make something amazing, but instead, they opted to take the overall idea of a classic short story, bastardise it by throwing in old cliches and recycled movied ideas penned by the same author...

On a positive note, the imagery of this movie was pretty beautiful. I particularly liked the motif of the backwards clock built by the blind man, and the Dancing sequences were exquisite.
The acting? IMHO, a little flat. I know BB was meant to be this very thoughtful character, trapped in this exceptional life situation, but in most scenes, he came across more as...*waiting to the bus*. Cate Blanchett was pretty good aswell, especially in her later scenes, I suppose it's bacause that was when we really got to know the true nature of Daisy.

Overall, I'd give it a 7/10. Great concept, beautiful imagery,lengthy formulation, stale writing.

I did like the

"Did I ever tell you I was struck by lightening"

part though

rovert · 08-02-2009 04:34PM

Mark Kermode sums the film up for me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVFRNftOLEQ

mental07 · 08-02-2009 05:52PM

I thoroughly enjoyed it, I have to say; I was enthralled from the beginning and it didn't drag for me despite it being over 2 1/2 hours long! I kind of cringed at the "optimum Brad Pitt" moment described by the Radio 5 reviewer there though...:pac:

Outkast_IRE · 08-02-2009 07:31PM

Great film overall I did prefer the first 2/3s of the film with him growing up and travelling just thought it was more intresting than the last 1/3 , great film though would thoroughly reccomend 9/10

irish_bob · 08-02-2009 08:44PM

rovert wrote: »

Mark Kermode sums the film up for me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVFRNftOLEQ

i dont have broadband so it would take me 3 weeks to view the clip , what was his verdict , let me guess , he hated it

stevejazzx · 09-02-2009 10:55AM

think kermode was spot on tbh..I kept waiting for something... anything. Yeah and julia ormonde..totally wasted she!

BaZmO* · 10-02-2009 10:23AM

I went to see it on Sunday and really enjoyed it. I think it's a nice Sunday afternoon movie and maybe because that's when I went to see it I enjoyed it more. Possibly wouldn't have enjoyed it as much if I watched it at any other time, if that makes sense?

The special effects were amazing, in that you didn't notice them.

I reckon it has a real chance at the Oscars, not necessarily because it's the best movie but because the Academy like movies that chart American History. Even though Slumdog is the favourite by far it's definitely worth a punt, as are the other entries.

edit- The premise of the film always reminded me of Andy Rooney's thoughts on life...

Andy Rooney wrote:

Andy Rooney's Thought On Life....

The most unfair thing about life is the way it ends.

I mean, life is tough. It takes up a lot of your time.

And then you die. What's that? A bonus?

I think the life-cycle is all backwards.

You should die first and get it all over with.

Then you live in an old age home.

You get kicked out when you're too young.

You get a gold watch.

You go to work.

You work forty years until you're young enough to enjoy your retirement.

You do drugs, alcohol and party.

You get ready for high school.

You go to grade school and become a kid.

You play. You have no responsibilities.

You become a little baby & go back into the womb.

You spend your last nine months floating...

Then, you finish off as an orgasm. I like it.

here.from.day.1 · 10-02-2009 10:46AM

Saw it a couple of weeks ago, have forgotten most of it now (says a lot really,) but yes the technical aspect of the film was very good and it is worth a watch even with its Titanic-esque moments.

girlbiker · 11-02-2009 12:04AM

Hated it, thought it was horrifically boring and overly sentimental and the acting was lacklustre as was the scrpit, I was sorry I wasted three hours when I could have been watching the paint dry. Why did someone think they could make a three hour film out of an idea of a short story Scott Fitzgerald wrote half heartidly. :mad:

Nichololas · 11-02-2009 11:56AM

girlbiker wrote: »

Hated it, thought it was horrifically boring and overly sentimental and the acting was lacklustre as was the scrpit, I was sorry I wasted three hours when I could have been watching the paint dry. Why did someone think they could make a three hour film out of an idea of a short story Scott Fitzgerald wrote half heartidly. :mad:

I wouldn't say it was horrifically boring but it could have done with having 30-40 minutes cut out of it, definitely. Script was alright, imo, although I don't know how Brad Pitt is nominated for a Best Actor Oscar for it.

faceman · 11-02-2009 02:39PM

Kermode put me off the film, i'll wait for the dvd!

Boo-yah · 11-02-2009 04:31PM

faceman wrote: »

Kermode put me off the film, i'll wait for the dvd!

One guy's opinion put you off? The fact that he thinks Forrest Gump is a better film (or even a good film at that) would render his opinion on the film a bit iffy imo

11-02-2009 05:28PM

Kermode is not a good critic. He's fun to listen to but I would never use him to gauge how good a film is.

Handsome Bob · 14-02-2009 12:42AM

I would say good not great. I was a bit confused by some things that I saw as contradictions. Benjamin started off with the body of a man in his late eighties with all the ailments such as arthritis and cataracts, yet he had the stamina at about 17 years of age (still in his perhaps seventies at the time) to tire out a prostitute. Yet when he is getting badly young (such a strange statement!) he only begins to suffer from dimentia. Since he had ailments such as arthritis and cataracts when he was a baby/ a youth, would it not make sense that he would have bad memory at THAT time?

I liked the film any way mainly because Pitt's performance was so engrossing and endearing. I believe Mickey Rourke is a clear head above everyone else in the Best Actor category. But many critics say Penn's performance in Milk is of equal standing, if that's the case then Pitt has as much of a chance at the award as the other two because I believe both Pitt's and Penn's performances are on an equal standing.

pickarooney · 14-02-2009 10:45AM

I thought this was a very poor film, extremely dull , far too long and so-whatish. In fact, it was exactly as I imagined it would be having seen the trailer but I gave in to curiosity piqued by glowign reviews and was inevitably, predictably disappointed.

I got far more enjoyment out of Jean Claude Van Damme's latest film which I watched the next day. Although, that was a pretty decent flick, in fairness.

humanji · 15-02-2009 02:52PM

I saw this and it pretty much sums up the film. It was good, but I'd seen it before...

http://www.gigglesugar.com/2715654

Pigman II · 16-02-2009 09:40AM

Deleted User wrote: »

Kermode is not a good critic. He's fun to listen to but I would never use him to gauge how good a film is.

I agree with this. The guy is a BBC whore like Jonathan Ross, the only difference he tries to hide it better. The movie Son of Rambow comes to mind. It was honestly one of the worst films I've seen in the last year. It wasn't funny, it wasn't a coherent story, it wasn't well acted and was badly edited. I can't see how anyone like would like it (even kids) yet Kermode gave it a glowing review on his podcast. And guess what, the week he reviewed it he also had that useless pair Hammer&Tongs (the people who made Son of Rambow - and lest we forget the equally useless Hitchhikers Guide Movie a few years ago) on for an interview. Coincidence? No, total sycophant.

As for Ben Button. It's a good movie. Nothing spectacular and is almost nothing that wasn't already done by Eric Roth 15 years ago for Forrest Gump. Basically if Shawshank Redemption was Forrest Gump then Benjamin Button is The Green Mile.

ztoical · 16-02-2009 10:32PM

Saw it yesterday and while I enjoyed it while watching it once I left the cinema I found it hard to recall alot of the film. I found it very bland and the tone and feel the same the whole way through even though we are meant to be traveling through several decades and also to several locations but new york felt like paris felt like new orleans felt like russia. Overall pretty but not memorable and a bit pointless as you can pretty much work out how the whole thing is going to play out 5 mins in.

fugazied · 17-02-2009 12:15AM

I actually thought it was pretty good, but not 'great' in the way forest gump was when I first saw it

Yes some scenes and moments dragged on but the acting was good. This proves for me that Pitt isn't just a pretty boy but has his moments as an actor. Up till now Pitt always seemed to be either crazy or a tough guy cop or a airhread pretty boy in most films. This script gave him a little room to move. Blanchett was a godess as always, love her work.

GunScope · 17-02-2009 05:57PM

It was a good movie, but dull at times, Brad Pitt did his role justice.

medic_1 · 17-02-2009 06:00PM

Went to this movie ready to hate it... How wrong I was! Great movie, am going to see it again!

jdscrubs · 19-02-2009 11:40AM

Saw this movie last night.

I enjoyed it and thought it was very good.

What spoilt it for me was the constant cutting to the present which ruined the flow of the movie. Titanic did that but only once or twice. This film did it way to often. When we were in the present, mostly all of the scenes were useless as Julia Ormond's character reads what just happened or what is about to happen and then cut to the past. It felt repetitive. If all those scenes werent in it, the movie would have been shorter and better. Give it 7 out of 10, would have given it 10 out of 10 had it not been for what I said.

Apart from the above, the acting was very good especially with Brad Pitt. Thought Tilda Swinton was good in her small role. Found Cate Blanchett was good as well. The best actor was the lady who played button's moma&I can see why she has been nominated for supporting actress. Funny & poignant character.

The fillm looked amazing. It was very well made. The special effects were done so well one could hardly notice them. They should win make up award. Thought it was odd that it looked like Brad Pitt when he was an old man but when he was a child, they could have made the effort to superimpose his face onto the child.

The story of the guy who got struck by lightening was funny. Would have prefered if they had gotten an Irish actor to play the Irish character as I could hardly understand anything the guy playing him said.

Would like it to win Best Film but not Direction because David Fincher should have left all the scenes in the present out bar at the start and the end as they just slowed the film down.

purplegeko · 19-02-2009 04:56PM

Good Movie but a bit too long - superb acting and cinematography, can't see Brad Pitt bagging the oscar though.

applehunter · 20-02-2009 12:48AM

Would never sit though it again.

Alright for the a while but just not enough to keep me interested. Pretty boring stuff in the end.

6/10

is_that_so · 22-02-2009 12:49PM

My own experience of this film was that it was warm, enjoyable but ultimately unengaging and overlong. Elements of other films, such as The English Patient and more obviously Titanic(elderly woman remembers) and Forrest Gump left me wondering what all the fuss was about.

While the actors, especially Pitt, acquit themselves very well, the film struck me as a collection of episodes, some of which were very disjointed. The purpose of Benjamin's father was never clear beyond allowing him to develop yet another plot line. Benjamin's ability to leap from one part of the story to the next was strongly reminiscent of Forrest Gump. The problem with a story of this type is that much of it is telegraphed , even before the story is created. In this respect the challenge was to avoid making this so completely obvious. In this I think Fincher and Roth failed.

I also failed to see the need to use Hurricane Katrina as a backdrop, yet again echoes of the connections of Gump to important historical events, and I think it was a distraction more than a useful device, although it was not helped by Cate Blanchett's mumbling. Granted I don't have as exalted a view of Fincher as others may have. I have also never been a fan of Fight Club in any way. In that respect I took the film for what I saw. Good? Better than most but really not THAT good. 3/5

That_Guy · 22-02-2009 03:46PM

I really enjoyed this film. If a film just short of three hours can keep me hooked throughout then it's definitely worth a mention. Well deserving of its Oscar nomination for best picture. I think it will be between this and Slumdog Millionaire as to who will win that Oscar.

robgordon · 01-03-2009 02:54PM

Mark Kermode is just getting more bitter with each passing year. Someone like him is not in touch with the average film goer, and that's why he's always been on the cusp of mainstream, and never within it. Same as Peter Bradshaw, he throws his toys out of the pram all the time for attention.

opr · 06-03-2009 06:29AM

Having a long running time and comparisons made with Forrest Gump i had been put me off seeing this. I think Forrest Gump is the most over-rated film of all time.

Tonight i bit the bullet and finally gave BB a watch. Despite a long runtime, the film never dragged. Its one of those films that i became engrossed in from the opening few minutes after which i fell deeply into the film and was totally immersed in its world from start to finish. The final scene in which she cradles the baby and we are told that she sees recognition in his eyes was wonderful.

I only wish i had gone to see this on the big screen.

9/10

Opr

Asmodean · 06-03-2009 11:49AM

I don't know what to make of this film other than the fact that I think it was a bit over-rated IMO. I tried to watch it twice but only managed to get through it on the third viewing. Just kept losing interest. I supoose it's good at what it does but I found it to be one of those extremely predictable movies that gets a lot of recognition because its doing something a bit different. Other than the premise of the story it delivered nothing new to me and therefore I found it boring. Just throwing in a whole bunch of supporting characters he meets that each teach him a little lesson in life, all a bit cliched I thought.
But I can definitely see why a lot of people would like it and I wouldn't argue with them, just wasn't my cup of tea unfortunately.

Ann22 · 21-03-2009 11:38AM

I just watched it the other night. I didn't really enjoy it tbh. My hubbie did though. If our dvd player had stopped working halfway through, I wouldn't have been bothered at all. I know it was well filmed with some fantastic scenes but the storyline for me lacked something...it just went from one stage to the next with nothing of any real interest for me occuring. I found Brad Pitt's performance very bland..along the lines of how he was in Meet Joe Black....he just seemed to stand staring boringly....I know the part he played was of a mild mannered soul so maybe i'm being unfair..Forrest Gump was miles better imo, Hank's portrayal of this simple lad was so realistic I felt so sorry for him all the way through so I watched his adventures with avid interest genuinely hoping things would work out ok for him in the end, I didn't feel that emotion with this film, except maybe at the end

when he died in her arms

.
Another thing, I didn't feel Cate Blanchett suited her part at all. She just looked out of place in it...she was supposed to be this beautiful young woman, they didn't suit each other at all..others may disagree.

The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button

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