The Curious Case of Benjamin ButtonRated PG-13
Running time: 2 hrs 47 mins
Cast:
Brad Pitt
Cate Blanchett
Taraji P. Henson
Tilda Swinton
Critical Consensus:
***1/2 out of *****
(76% Fresh Rating!)
Mikey @ The Movies Official Rating:
****1/2 out of *****
The Premise:
Tells the story of Benjamin Button, a man who starts aging backwards with bizarre consequences.
MY REVIEW
Benjamin Button is a beautiful, epic and absolutely wonderful film clocking in at just under three hours. A film like this needs to be three hours because there is a ton of story to tell and a whole lifetime to show us. This movie is easily one of the most original and also touching concepts of a love story that I've ever seen. The story really proves the point that true love CAN stand the test of time and that beauty isn't just skin deep. Button could have been a creepy story with it at times being about an "older" looking man having the hots for a seven or eight year old. But really the story was told much more delicately than that.
Button really is a unique film. It tells the story of Benjamin Button, who was born an old man in a babies body. He grows like a child does, but ages backwards. So he's about in his mid-eighties when he is born. We seem him grow, have love for his adopted mother, and explore the world. He then meets Daisy, a girl about his age (technically) and a spark grows between the two. The rest of the film follows both characters in their different lives which eventually have them meeting in the middle (age wise) and falling in love. There really is a ton of story in this film, so I won't go on to much about it, but you get the idea now. In terms of the screenplay, it is amazing One of the best storylines of the year. Beautiful dialog and unique characters. A truly original tale of love.
The problem I had with the movie was there was no real emotional depth to the film. It's a near three hour movie, and never once did I feel any connection or sorrow for any of the characters in the film. Not to say they were all one-dimensional, but they weren't fully three dimensional either. Somewhere in the middle. So that when tragedy strikes their lives, I didn't feel bad. I didn't get teary eyed. There's even a part in the film where a central character passes away (of course there's death, this movie takes place over 90 years) but it happens so abruptly and we never had a hint that they were dying. It was one of my favorite characters in the film, but when they died it was like.."Oh...OK" and I didn't feel the heartache of the characters. And other people passed away but not once did I feel ANY emotions over it. The ending of the film did seem a tad rushed, but not to much that I didn't like it. Although there was a storyline that didn't seem to get resolved between a mother and daughter but I won't go into to much detail.
That may sound like enough to ruin the movie, but it did not. I still think this was an incredible movie. First off, it looked stunning. One of the best looking films of the year. I get so excited to see these epic films that span a lifetime because you get to see an array or wondrous set designs and costumes that really add to the feel of a movie like this. And boy oh boy were there some great visuals. Absolutely lavish sets that really brought you back in time. And the film had an amazing musical score that you would expect a film like this to have. Well I was not dissapointed by that aspect. The music captured the essence of the movie, so it was pitch perfect! The aging of Benjamin Button was done masterfully and every new Benjamin we got to see (the oldest and some of the youngest) looked just like Brad Pitt. I don't know exactly how they did this, but it was awesome. The older one was maybe three feet tall, but still had that Pitt face. Freaking movie magic, got to love it right?
A movie like this would not be complete without some brilliant performances, and I felt like it did have some of those. Oscar nominee Brad Pitt has amazed me this year with film's like this and Burn After Reading. I never knew he could be this good. He carries this film all the way to the finish line. He narrates the movie excellently, and when he's on screen you don't really see the Brad Pitt we've all grown to know so well. I feel he immersed himself in this character, and it payed off super well for him. I believe he deserves an Oscar nomination this year (two if you include Burn After Reading). Oscar winner Cate Blanchett (The Aviator, I'm Not There) was in almost the entire film if you think about it. She did play the old woman version too you know. Personally I thought she was brilliant and stunning. I think she deserves her sixth Oscar nomination for this film! Maybe it was that New Orleans accent, I don't know, but she was amazing! She looked beautiful as well, even as she grew a little older. You know who else I loved in this movie, and also deserves some award attention, Taraji P. Wilson (Talk to Me, TV's Boston Legal). She played Benjamin's mother Queenie was such an incredible sweetness and she was so lovable. It was kind of a simple performance, but at the same time she was so great!
Benjamin Button is a must see film in my opinion, even though it is very long. But really for me it didn't feel three hours in length. This movie, which only falters in grabbing an audience emotionally (at least me it didn't), really is a near masterpiece in film making. One of the best movies of the year, and I think it will prove that come Oscar time. Go see Benjamin Button! Great movie!
To view this film's theatrical trailer, click this link: Benjamin Button
Button really is a unique film. It tells the story of Benjamin Button, who was born an old man in a babies body. He grows like a child does, but ages backwards. So he's about in his mid-eighties when he is born. We seem him grow, have love for his adopted mother, and explore the world. He then meets Daisy, a girl about his age (technically) and a spark grows between the two. The rest of the film follows both characters in their different lives which eventually have them meeting in the middle (age wise) and falling in love. There really is a ton of story in this film, so I won't go on to much about it, but you get the idea now. In terms of the screenplay, it is amazing One of the best storylines of the year. Beautiful dialog and unique characters. A truly original tale of love.
The problem I had with the movie was there was no real emotional depth to the film. It's a near three hour movie, and never once did I feel any connection or sorrow for any of the characters in the film. Not to say they were all one-dimensional, but they weren't fully three dimensional either. Somewhere in the middle. So that when tragedy strikes their lives, I didn't feel bad. I didn't get teary eyed. There's even a part in the film where a central character passes away (of course there's death, this movie takes place over 90 years) but it happens so abruptly and we never had a hint that they were dying. It was one of my favorite characters in the film, but when they died it was like.."Oh...OK" and I didn't feel the heartache of the characters. And other people passed away but not once did I feel ANY emotions over it. The ending of the film did seem a tad rushed, but not to much that I didn't like it. Although there was a storyline that didn't seem to get resolved between a mother and daughter but I won't go into to much detail.
That may sound like enough to ruin the movie, but it did not. I still think this was an incredible movie. First off, it looked stunning. One of the best looking films of the year. I get so excited to see these epic films that span a lifetime because you get to see an array or wondrous set designs and costumes that really add to the feel of a movie like this. And boy oh boy were there some great visuals. Absolutely lavish sets that really brought you back in time. And the film had an amazing musical score that you would expect a film like this to have. Well I was not dissapointed by that aspect. The music captured the essence of the movie, so it was pitch perfect! The aging of Benjamin Button was done masterfully and every new Benjamin we got to see (the oldest and some of the youngest) looked just like Brad Pitt. I don't know exactly how they did this, but it was awesome. The older one was maybe three feet tall, but still had that Pitt face. Freaking movie magic, got to love it right?
A movie like this would not be complete without some brilliant performances, and I felt like it did have some of those. Oscar nominee Brad Pitt has amazed me this year with film's like this and Burn After Reading. I never knew he could be this good. He carries this film all the way to the finish line. He narrates the movie excellently, and when he's on screen you don't really see the Brad Pitt we've all grown to know so well. I feel he immersed himself in this character, and it payed off super well for him. I believe he deserves an Oscar nomination this year (two if you include Burn After Reading). Oscar winner Cate Blanchett (The Aviator, I'm Not There) was in almost the entire film if you think about it. She did play the old woman version too you know. Personally I thought she was brilliant and stunning. I think she deserves her sixth Oscar nomination for this film! Maybe it was that New Orleans accent, I don't know, but she was amazing! She looked beautiful as well, even as she grew a little older. You know who else I loved in this movie, and also deserves some award attention, Taraji P. Wilson (Talk to Me, TV's Boston Legal). She played Benjamin's mother Queenie was such an incredible sweetness and she was so lovable. It was kind of a simple performance, but at the same time she was so great!
Benjamin Button is a must see film in my opinion, even though it is very long. But really for me it didn't feel three hours in length. This movie, which only falters in grabbing an audience emotionally (at least me it didn't), really is a near masterpiece in film making. One of the best movies of the year, and I think it will prove that come Oscar time. Go see Benjamin Button! Great movie!
To view this film's theatrical trailer, click this link: Benjamin Button*This is the 175th new film I've seen and reviewed this year.
No comments:
Post a Comment