I’ve avoided posting for a while because I don’t enjoy the idea of posting out of necessity or habit.
Nothing ever seemed really “post-worthy” lately.
Well, now…
I just went to see “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” and I couldn’t wait to get home and tell the world about it.
Honestly, it is one of the most beautiful movies I’ve ever seen.
Earlier tonight, David and I decided to grab dinner, get some coffee and shakes at Muddy’s, then see a movie. Even with the stop at Muddy’s, we arrived at the movie theatre quite early. We were first in line to wait for the previous showing to get out.
When the movie ended and the crowd filed out of the theater, I noticed a few people had been crying. I said to David, “Oh, boy… And it’s two and a half hours long!” thinking I had made the wrong choice. “Doubt” had crossed my mind, literally.
I was still uneasy about the movie choice when the previews ended and the movie began.
I will never doubt David Fincher again.
The story is of a man who is born aged and instead of growing older, grows younger. It’s told flashing back and forth between scenes of his life and scenes of a daughter next to her mother’s death bed.
It’s like watching a past life unfold before you. You know the characters from your soul. The plot, however strange, is gripping and heart-warming.
It was a combination of “Forest Gump”, “Big Fish”, ” The Notebook”, “On Golden Pond” and “Peter Pan”, if that’s possible.
It feels momentous, not at all tiring or long-winded.
The make-up, the editing, the photography, the casting- glorious. Cate Blanchett and Tilda Swinton were absolutely lovely. The cinematography was as grand as “Titanic”, but artsier. There were definitely a few moments I enjoyed the movie for pure visual aestheticism.
The only distraction I had during the first part of the movie was the CGI relating to the baby and the first few years of Benjamin’s life. I kept waiting for the real Brad Pitt to emerge out the make-up. That’s probably because I know how great he looks in reality. I can’t call it a casting fault because Pitt really worked the role well.
I also wished I could’ve lingered a bit longer in a few of the scenes but I think the way the movie was edited really gave a good sense of a lot of time passing and a lot of memories made along the way. It felt like a full-fledged novel, even though it was based on a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
While the screen-writing could’ve thrown in a few more one-liners, they were able to carry a complicated, and production-heavy plot for two and a half hours seamlessly. Bravo.
Not even kidding, when the lights came on, a French Canadian who had sat next to us in the beginning of the show stood up and actually said,
“I love life.”
Another who sat in front leaned over to his wife and whispered,
“Assez beau.” (“Really beautiful.”)
Truth is, I don’t know if I could watch it again. I don’t want to sink the cloud it put me on. Well done.
UPDATE:
-Movie-goer shoots another audience member for talking during this movie:
http://www.firstshowing.net/2008/12/27/angry-moviegoer-shoots-man-for-talking-during-movie/
1 Comment
December 29, 2008 at 2:47 am
Glad to see you loved the film! I thought it was very thought-provoking and held me attention throughout. I don’t understand the negativity of some who have seen the film. The audience I saw it with seemed to love it, too.
Here’s my review:
http://davethenovelist.wordpress.com/2008/12/28/a-review-of-the-curious-case-of-benjamin-button/