Finchers 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button'

[The Shape]

Really? I have to say that I got a little bit teary-eyed now and then. And I thought the first part of the movie with the young(/old) Button was very endearing...

I agree that the first portion of the film was the most interesting, similar to the feeling you get when watching the beginning of Forrest Gump (yup, I'm comparing them again). But unlike Gump, Button loses that about halfway through the movie and the rest of the film is rather bland.

 

[SatEL]

I have seen this film 3 times and everytime I see it I always choke up and cry (Manly tears of course) its just such a beautiful film, I feel like I leave with something new everytime.

 

[X-Maniac]

For such a ridiculous concept, it was very moving. Maybe the characters weren't that good but the themes kinda got me. Also, the sequence of events that lead to the lead female character breaking her leg was awesome...classic Fincher stuff right there t:

What were the themes? A lot of people are saying it was all random and pointless.

Not that I've seen it, and not that I listen to critics, but it's getting quite a bad reaction here in the UK. The negative aspects seem to be: overlong; terrible cliched voicover messages about living life to the full; and the lack of a real point to the story.

 

[SatEL]

What were the themes? A lot of people are saying it was all random and pointless.

Not that I've seen it, and not that I listen to critics, but it's getting quite a bad reaction here in the UK. The negative aspects seem to be: overlong; terrible cliched voicover messages about living life to the full; and the lack of a real point to the story.

There is more to the film than that, I think it deals with the fear of aging whether its aging forward or backwards, there is also the aspect of no regret if you have done something and have experienced it when that moment is over don’t regret it or have pity but rather be glad you experienced that moment. IMO this film is stacked with tons of messages which make you think. Oh there is the theme of forgiveness and acceptance before its to late as well, this film just hits your emotion and chokes you up............I love you mum *Starts crying* (Manly tears of course).

 

[Dr Strange]

Watched it yesterday, i thought it was a beautiful, brilliant film which did not feel like 2 hours 46 minutes. I loved every minute and i will try to go and watch it again.

9/10

 

[Hunter Rider]

From the reviews I have seen I thought it would be a "love it or hate it" type of film, but it wasn't. I didn't love it but I did like it and found it a fascinating watch.

It's a beautifully crafted fairytale that I am sure some feel spends to long smelling the roses, however I found it a very engaging and odd watch. The seamless effects are a thing to behold and each scene is like a lush painting.

Each period is created lavishly but it's the pre war period that feels like it came out of a musty old book of fables, the type which you see on old book shelves in big old mansions. In particular the days on the tugboat way out in the sea with the mast frozen, followed by the picturesque city in which Button meets Elizabeth, the scenes here are simply magical.

The movie is primarily a love story, a true love story I'd say, other themes are touched on such as how we are moulded as people by our interactions with others, and how you should live life to the fullest you can, however none of these themes are very subtly woven into the fabric of the movie, but that is not necessarily a negative depending on your point of view.

The acting is all very good, Blanchett as always is magnificent, just pure class throughput, creating a love interest that has an air of the fairytale love to her but with enough human earthiness to make her real. Tilda Swinton also has a brief but highly enjoyable supporting role that she plays to the hilt. Taja P Henson is blustery and warm hearted as Queenie but I don't see her performance as golden statue quality.

Now Pitt, Ive seen many describe his performance as one note, and it is true to say that the character of Benjamin Button is not emotionally a varied one, and I'd also say that the character is at his best when he is young but looks old and the amazing effects can be used as a crutch, however I think the way Pitt alters his voice and delivers his lines in these scenes add a lot to the visual of the Curious looking Mr Button.

Fincher's direction is a mixture of painstaking detail, technical brilliance and visual delight as always, combining with heart on this occasion, a trait I was unsure he could muster. However there is certainly a case to be made that he could tighten up the pacing, but for every length argument there is a counter argument.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a fairytale journey centered around a romance that lasts a lifetime, whether you enjoy taking that journey is another matter, it's not a thought provoking movie and it's not exciting, I can see those that think it's to long and that Button could have more exciting experiences, but at the same time I found the leisurely pace rewarding and his life experiences to be a mix of entertaining, humorous and touching.

8/10

 

[Carmine Falcone]

That is simply spot-on. My thoughts about this movie are near identical. Well done.

 

[terry78]

Who on here reads Cinefex? They pretty much showcased how the process went, as for about the first 45 minutes of the flick, Button is a CG character, though it's done with a lot of composite stuff. Very well done, and most people will never look at that and be like, "that is so fake."

 

[Jack O Lantern]

So, what is this movie actually about? I usually get the themes of films but all I got from this is "Stuff happens and then you die."

The movie also had logic flaws. Hear me out because I know you're thinking, "Dude ages backwards and yo're talking about logic?"

Spoiler

In movies anything can happen as long as you set up rules. In time travel movies you have to set up the rules of time travel, can you go forward and back or just on? Can you travel across space? And once those rules are set you can't break them. In Benjy Button he is born an old baby, not an old man, his mother doesn't push out a 5ft 8 body. This tells us that his body still follows the same rules as ours, minus the ageing process, this means that at the end of the movie he should have been a man-baby.

And the scene about the car crash, what's going on there? The whole movie we get narration from his diary, how could he possibly have any knowledge whatsoever about these events? He wasn't even in Paris at the time

 

[Ender Durden]

So, what is this movie actually about? I usually get the themes of films but all I got from this is "Stuff happens and then you die."

The movie also had logic flaws. Hear me out because I know you're thinking, "Dude ages backwards and yo're talking about logic?"

Spoiler

In movies anything can happen as long as you set up rules. In time travel movies you have to set up the rules of time travel, can you go forward and back or just on? Can you travel across space? And once those rules are set you can't break them. In Benjy Button he is born an old baby, not an old man, his mother doesn't push out a 5ft 8 body. This tells us that his body still follows the same rules as ours, minus the ageing process, this means that at the end of the movie he should have been a man-baby.

And the scene about the car crash, what's going on there? The whole movie we get narration from his diary, how could he possibly have any knowledge whatsoever about these events? He wasn't even in Paris at the time

thats what I didn't get, the car crash. It seems really out of place and the theme of the movie wasn't about sequences of events and how one displacement could change things forever, i think it was more about how the people you meet influence your own life, not about random seemingly insignificant events resulting in an outcome. So when this scene came about i was like Huh?

normally i like movies with themes like this, like Magnolia for instance, but this one just seemed out of place.

oh well, im not a director so who am i to talk, and i really enjoyed the movie.

 

[Spider-Fan]

The movie is about acceptance. It is rather simple. Characters often talk about things they did or didn't do in life, and Button even talks about how they were right before the end. Like his father, he gives him that view he loved as he is dying. Help him to come to terms with his life. Also, the entire movie is a flashback and both Daisy and her daughter have to accept the truth at the end. I thought it was rather easy to get.

 

[DarthPollo]

ummm the curious case of how the press wanted to sold this movie and make it like the best movie ever! (wich it wasn't) And then you can see it refelcted in the awards that it's getting....
I think it was good, but not the best ever. And they want you to think that.

 

[TheFuture]

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.

Oh and I really enjoyed the fact that, besides for the obvious physical problem of Benjamin, that he is a normal and uninterestig guy. It humanises the character, it would have been too easy and too cliched to present Benjamin as some phenomenal person (ala Forest Gump). It just hammers home the surrreality of the character even more.

 

[dark_b]

i didnt watch the movie so i dotn visit this thread.
if this is old then sorry
http://www.digitaldomain.com/

 

[mclay18]

Shockingly good release news:

Paramount and the Criterion Collection will release Benjamin Button on single-disc and on 2-disc DVD & Blu-ray on May 5th. The featureless single-disc (distributed by Paramount) has an SRP of $29.98, while the Criterion 2-disc DVD and Blu-ray have a $39.99 SRP tag.

Features on both Criterion DVD and Blu include a 4-part documentary on making the movie (pre-production, filming, post-production, and the film's release) as well as feature commentary by director David Fincher.

Criterion has been renowned for their top-tier treatment of their classic and independent film releases, so the 2-disc SE is a must-own.

 

[GregComicFan]

Was I the only person TOTALLY UNDERWHELMED by this movie?

 

[Watson]

Shockingly good release news:

Paramount and the Criterion Collection will release Benjamin Button on single-disc and on 2-disc DVD & Blu-ray on May 5th. The featureless single-disc (distributed by Paramount) has an SRP of $29.98, while the Criterion 2-disc DVD and Blu-ray have a $39.99 SRP tag.

Features on both Criterion DVD and Blu include a 4-part documentary on making the movie (pre-production, filming, post-production, and the film's release) as well as feature commentary by director David Fincher.

Criterion has been renowned for their top-tier treatment of their classic and independent film releases, so the 2-disc SE is a must-own.

I can't believe Criterion picked Benjamin Button. Seriously? It wasn't that good. I'd rather Slumdog or the Dark Knight if they are going to choose a current film.

 

[The Shape]

Was I the only person TOTALLY UNDERWHELMED by this movie?

Nope. Saw it once, thought it was okay. Recently saw it again, and man, I can't even stand it. It has some redeeming qualities, but for the most part, it's a dreary, emotionless film.

 

[mclay18]

I can't believe Criterion picked Benjamin Button. Seriously? It wasn't that good. I'd rather Slumdog or the Dark Knight if they are going to choose a current film.

I think due to financial straits, Criterion wants to bring in fresh revenue with a hot title and make their company more widely known to the public. Benjamin Button isn't the first Hollywood title Criterion's covered, they did nonanamorphic 2-disc editions of Michael Bay's Armageddon and The Rock in 1999.

I would absolutely die of geekgasm if Warner Brothers agreed to licence The Dark Knight to Criterion. But being it a WB film and Nolan's notorious tendency to shy away from extensive bonus material, it'd be a futile effort. I think the closest thing TDK will get to anything rivaling a Criterion-quality release is if WB did a lavish 2-disc edition a la the Batman Motion Picture Anthology to coincide with a third movie.

 

[Nirvana]

I'll be buying the dvd.

 

[Spider-Fan]

I liked the movie, and I can see the Criterion pick. However, the one thing I hate about the Criterion Collection is the price. It is top treatment and they offer great features, but at 50 bucks a pop, I tend to think twice about buying them, unless it is something I really loved like The Last Temptation of Christ.

 

[Spider-Fan]

I can't believe Criterion picked Benjamin Button. Seriously? It wasn't that good. I'd rather Slumdog or the Dark Knight if they are going to choose a current film.

Criterion doesn't normally pick movies like Slumdog Millionaire, and I do think Benjamin Button is closer to the Criterion Collections taste based on past films selected (sans bigger movies like Armageddon, The Rock, and Robocop, of course). However, I would have loved a Criterion release for TDK, and would have picked it over Benjamin Button (especially if they wanted a film that would sell better, like the pick of Button would seem to show). The DVD for TDK has lackluster features

 

[DACrowe]

From the reviews I have seen I thought it would be a "love it or hate it" type of film, but it wasn't. I didn't love it but I did like it and found it a fascinating watch.

It's a beautifully crafted fairytale that I am sure some feel spends to long smelling the roses, however I found it a very engaging and odd watch. The seamless effects are a thing to behold and each scene is like a lush painting.

Each period is created lavishly but it's the pre war period that feels like it came out of a musty old book of fables, the type which you see on old book shelves in big old mansions. In particular the days on the tugboat way out in the sea with the mast frozen, followed by the picturesque city in which Button meets Elizabeth, the scenes here are simply magical.

The movie is primarily a love story, a true love story I'd say, other themes are touched on such as how we are moulded as people by our interactions with others, and how you should live life to the fullest you can, however none of these themes are very subtly woven into the fabric of the movie, but that is not necessarily a negative depending on your point of view.

The acting is all very good, Blanchett as always is magnificent, just pure class throughput, creating a love interest that has an air of the fairytale love to her but with enough human earthiness to make her real. Tilda Swinton also has a brief but highly enjoyable supporting role that she plays to the hilt. Taja P Henson is blustery and warm hearted as Queenie but I don't see her performance as golden statue quality.

Now Pitt, Ive seen many describe his performance as one note, and it is true to say that the character of Benjamin Button is not emotionally a varied one, and I'd also say that the character is at his best when he is young but looks old and the amazing effects can be used as a crutch, however I think the way Pitt alters his voice and delivers his lines in these scenes add a lot to the visual of the Curious looking Mr Button.

Fincher's direction is a mixture of painstaking detail, technical brilliance and visual delight as always, combining with heart on this occasion, a trait I was unsure he could muster. However there is certainly a case to be made that he could tighten up the pacing, but for every length argument there is a counter argument.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a fairytale journey centered around a romance that lasts a lifetime, whether you enjoy taking that journey is another matter, it's not a thought provoking movie and it's not exciting, I can see those that think it's to long and that Button could have more exciting experiences, but at the same time I found the leisurely pace rewarding and his life experiences to be a mix of entertaining, humorous and touching.

8/10

well said.

 

[mclay18]

I liked the movie, and I can see the Criterion pick. However, the one thing I hate about the Criterion Collection is the price. It is top treatment and they offer great features, but at 50 bucks a pop, I tend to think twice about buying them, unless it is something I really loved like The Last Temptation of Christ.

The people at Criterion spend a lot of time and effort culling these special features together (in addition to remastering the film and sound elements of older films if need be), and they do invest a lot of effort in getting recent interviews with cast and crew to really make these "special" editions. Criterion's mostly a niche home video company than its big-studio competitors, and so they have to make up the costs by passing them along to the consumers.

And as for whether TDK would get a Criterion edition, it also depends if the studio that owns it is willing to lease it out to Criterion. So far, only a handful of companies such as Universal, Paramount and MGM have been willing to lease out to Criterion (I really can't think of a WB-sanctioned Criterion release off the top of my head, although there's been rumors of Cronenberg's Crash getting the Criterion treatment, a NL release).

And even if Criterion did manage to finagle a release of TDK from Warner Brothers, Chris Nolan would likely stay as sealed-lipped about the production as he did (and not talk about Heath's performance), let alone contribute a commentary. The only best thing about a TDK Criterion edition would be that the cover art would be stunning. Not to mention the ball would certainly NOT be dropped on the PQ and we'd get some killer liner notes, like several critics' essays on the film.

I'd wish Nolan was as enthusiastic about DVD making-of documentaries and behind-the-scenes stuff like Fincher was.

 

[Figs]

I'd wish Nolan was as enthusiastic about DVD making-of documentaries and behind-the-scenes stuff like Fincher was.

Same here.

I would love to see some behind the scenes shots, interviews and notes on their ideas and thoughts for bringing characters like Scarecrow and Two Face to life in Nolan's world. Just sad that it will probably never happen.

Good to hear that TCCofBB is getting a Criterion release. Haven't boughten one of those in quite sometime.