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The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
Director: David Fincher
Movie review
From Time Out New York
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novella is a curious case indeed: Where else can you find Kubrickian distance, bumper-sticker dialogue and a three-foot nonagenarian Brad Pitt, often in the same scene? Welcome to the wonderful, tragic life of Benjamin (Pitt), a man who ages backward and is consigned to a fleeting moment with his true love (Blanchett) before time steals her away. That the movie never devolves into Tuesdays with Benji is miraculous, though this deadpan Hallmark card still wants to jerk your tears. It just prefers remote manipulation over supercheap shots. Therein lies part of the problem.
For a melodrama concerned with emotional pain, this fairy tale favors formal trickery over human connection to a fault. When Fincher harnesses his prodigious chops to complex concepts—Fight Club, Zodiac—the result is first-class filmmaking. Without such intellectual grist, however, his flashy technique feels like hermetic virtuosity; even though Button deals with Big Themes, you’d swear the movie is being directed from deep inside a cryogenic tank. Showstopping sequences and state-of-the-art computerized aging can’t substitute for actually engaging with Button’s epic story of loss. Detachment can hold suffocating sentimentality at bay. It can also be a deathblow.
Author: David Fear
Time Out New York Issue 690/691: December 18 - 31, 2008
User reviews of this film
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- Larry said...
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Posted on Mar 08 2009 04:33
I saw it last night and I can see how many people found it long and somewhat detailed - it was. Indeed a few people left before the ending. Personally, I thought it was very good - it kept me engaged for the whole time. I liked the detail and it all came together nicely in the end, even if some of the things (such as him turning into a baby), went against logic.
Overall, though, it has made me think about my life and question how I spend my time, knowing full well that my clock will stop at some point too - Report as inappropriate
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- fern said...
- Posted on Feb 19 2009 15:22 this was the best film i have wached in ages its great the only badish thing about it is that there was no real reason why there had to be a hurricane but everthing else was great i did not think i would like it but but i loved the movie carnt wait for it to come out on dvd
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- SANDY S said...
- Posted on Feb 16 2009 12:26 Why write an epistle about a film which had a slow start and then became "something a bit special"? Let's not be picky!! It is a great film. The makeup for Brad and Cate was exceptonal!
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- Shirley said...
- Posted on Feb 14 2009 13:02 This was a wonderful movie, for men and women alike. Our theatre was packed, for the first time in a long time. ***** (5 stars)
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- becky said...
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Posted on Feb 09 2009 15:46
omg its a movie
get over it guys and stop trying to overthrow each other
u either lyk t or u dnt that it all u av to say
personally i thought it was really good, really cute and a great date movie
my opinion has been expressed now MOVE ON!!!
haha xXx - Report as inappropriate
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- Kate said...
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Posted on Jan 06 2009 02:45
I actually enjoyed it, but I am a mother and have worked with the elderly for some time.
Yes it was overdone, but...well...in these times, some people need a little Hollywood magic and a tear in the end. The ending visuals broke my heart, and I did end up walking out holding my husbands hand a little tighter than normal. - Report as inappropriate
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- Beth Wiseman said...
- Posted on Jan 05 2009 15:37 I loved this movie. I was never bored.
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- mt said...
- Posted on Jan 02 2009 13:02 I agree 100% with every question/point that Kay raised. My husband fell asleep at one point, too. We believe it will be the "English Patient" of the year... with half of the viewers loving it, the other half finding it an abhorrent waste of time.
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- Kay said...
- Posted on Dec 31 2008 21:26 No Bethany...I get symbolism, I'm married, I'm in love, ...I just didn't like this movie...I'm glad it helped you. Also, understanding symbolism and thinking that they did a good job are two different things...sorry you don't get that. Also, I'm sure that the Katrina thing was thrown in there by Brad Pitt since he is such a huge advocate of New Orleans.
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- JD said...
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Posted on Dec 31 2008 06:53
"This was the best movie I have ever seen."
Sounds like you work for the studio with a line that extreme. Kudos on taking the time to defend it, though, you're doing your job well otherwise. - Report as inappropriate
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- Bethany Gonzalez Moreno said...
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Posted on Dec 31 2008 03:09
This was the best movie I have ever seen.
I am going to address the complaints listed in the last comment by Kay.
(1) The connection between Daisy and Benjamin wasn't believable--- I believed their connection because it was like watching myself, in Daisy and my husband, in Benjamin. Brad Pitt played his part wonderfully. My husband looks at me with those same loving eyes. ;)
(2) Daisy NEVER told her daughter about the extent of her dancing -So what? Daisy had quite a few secrets. She kept most of her relevant past from her daughter.
(3) he was old too long- Yeh, I guess I kind of felt that, too.
(4) excruitiating detail- It was not excruciating. Every piece they put in there was in there for a reason
(5) why bother bringing Hurricane Katrina into it? They did absolutely nothing with that-- It's unfortunate you missed the point. Hurricane Katrina marked the passing of an era. Daisy dies and the clock is flooded. It was quite clear what it meant. They play with the passing of time throughout the movie. It was only natural to tie the passing of that era into the ending.
(6) He should have stayed big and acted like a baby;-- LOL WHY?!?!? Ok. I guess that did make it a little weird.. but the film would not have had the same effect, had he stayed big. The same pain was felt by Daisy when he had "dementia", as she would of, had he been old. This is brought into sharp relief against his child-like body, and the pain is felt even more strongly than it could have been otherwise.
(7) the randomness of the lightening bolt guy - I guess at least it would wake you up!;----- It was brilliant. Every time the movie was about to cause you to reach a breaking point, emotionally, the lightning bolt guy appeared. Life is also like that, you know.
(8) I still didn't get how the dad who abandoned him identified him in a houseful of old people?--- He had obviously been watching the house for awhile.
(9) where was the daughter when Daisy moved in to take care of Benjamin? I assume that she would have noticed her Mom was living in an old folks home taking care of another child- That is true. I thought that maybe her daughter was away living her own life by then. It was like the mom had just moved in there in her old age.
(10) Daisy looked too old on her deathbed; didn't match with the timing; I didn't get that. When people get cancer or are very sick in old age, they can wither very quickly.
(11)the pace of the movie was maddening....I can't believe so many critics are saying its Oscar-worthy! Its ironic because in the movie they talk about wasting time...exactly what I felt I was doing...I even fell asleep at different points. If I hadn't been with a group of people I would have left!
I am sorry you couldn't understand most of the movie.
Both my husband and I teared up quite a bit.
I am not really an emotional person and this movie touched me very deeply.
I told my husband that if I had never known love before, I might not have been able to appreciate this film like I did. I didn't really KNOW until I met my husband 2 years ago.
So. That could be one reason some people don't like this movie. They aren't ready to get it, yet. - Report as inappropriate
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- Kay said...
- Posted on Dec 27 2008 11:34 I saw this movie last night and couldn't believe how it dragged on. My problems with the movie besides the length: (1) The connection between Daisy and Benjamin wasn't believable; (2) Daisy NEVER told her daughter about the extent of her dancing - even though she had a dance studio and it was a such a huge passion for her; (3) he was old too long; (4) excruitiating detail; (5) why bother bringing Hurricane Katrina into it? They did absolutely nothing with that; (6) He should have stayed big and acted like a baby; (7) the randomness of the lightening bolt guy - I guess at least it would wake you up!; (8) I still didn't get how the dad who abandoned him identified him in a houseful of old people? (9) where was the daughter when Daisy moved in to take care of Benjamin? I assume that she would have noticed her Mom was living in an old folks home taking care of another child; (10) Daisy looked too old on her deathbed; didn't match with the timing; (11) the pace of the movie was maddening....I can't believe so many critics are saying its Oscar-worthy! Its ironic because in the movie they talk about wasting time...exactly what I felt I was doing...I even fell asleep at different points. If I hadn't been with a group of people I would have left!
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Cast & crew
Director: David Fincher
Cast: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Taraji P Henson, Jared Harris, Jason Flemyng, Mahershalalhashbaz Ali, Elias Koteas full cast
Rated: PG-13
Duration: 167 mins
US Release: Dec 25 2008
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