The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

[John Travolta]

The trailer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEL7oKO3n7U), I think, is haunting. Based (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Curious_Case_of_Benjamin_Button_(film)) on the short story (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Curious_Case_of_Benjamin_Button) by F. Scott Fitzgerald, it tells the story of Benjamin Button, who gets younger as time goes by. He is aged 80 in an infant's body at birth and dies an infant in an 80 year old's body. Expect no twists or turns, as with everybody with reverse aging, he does die at the end, the plot is very blunt.

I've read the short story and it was very thought provoking. My take on it is one of existentialism seeing as in the story, Button really didn't have a life with any meaning. The film won't be completely true to the story based on the trailer, but I am really interested in what Fincher will do with it. The Brad Pitt-David Fincher collaborations are always amazing to watch so, depending on Pitt's performance, it may be Oscar-worthy.

Really looking forward to the film, which is coming out this Christmas.

[Hawke]

It looks crazy but I don't know if its the movie for me.

[FESTERING CORPSE ANUS]

Looks like something Tim Burton would do, not sure if it fits Fincher's style.

Might give it a chance, only because, as you said, Pitt and Fincher work perfectly together.

[Allen]

F. Scott Fitzgerald was a bad ass. This movie looks very interesting. I will see it. I'm not excited about it or anything, but it will be seen by my eyes, heard by my ears, and processed by my brain.

[DieWernerBrueder]

This is what one can call an original idea. The concept is thought provoking, and the first years of Benjamin Button as a little old midget looks awfully creepy :O

[Allen]

And original idea, huh?

http://blog.screenweek.it/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/benjamin-button-booknew.jpg

Maybe not so much, huh?

[Derelict]

Looks interesting, to say the least. I might pick up the book before seeing the movie, since it is a few months away anyway. Brad Pitt is a pretty decent actor, so I expect good things of this.

[Tweek]

I read the story on the 'net a few nights ago.
It is kind of creepy, so I am certain that the film can capture that feeling and extend it to feature length.

Should be sweet.

[notafan]

These are my favorite types of movies. The trailer gives off a vibe of "The Assassination of Jesse James" which is my favorite movie, though with a scarier twist. The cinematography looks amazing as well as the acting and music. My excitement is beyond words.

[Rob]

And original idea, huh?


Maybe not so much, huh?

This was mentioned in the first post.

Movie looks interesting, Brad Pitt is usually fun to watch.

[docmartens]

Wasn't it a short story though? Isn't this like making a movie from the Cat in the Hat?

[Rob]

A lot of really good movies have been based on short stories. Total Recall, Minority Report and Memento to name a few.

[Alcoholic]

A lot of really good movies have been based on short stories. Total Recall, Minority Report and Memento to name a few.

And some of the mid to latter Bond stories, including Quantum of Solace.. If QoS were just like the book, it'd take 17 minutes, including credits.

[Derelict]

Wasn't it a short story though? Isn't this like making a movie from the Cat in the Hat?

It will be much better than the Cat in the Hat movie, I'm sure.

[Casalen]

That looks awesome, and exactly like the type of movie I tend to look for. Unfortunately, it looks like it has some thoughtfulness behind it. That'll never sell.

[abbey]

This comes out today. Someone tell me how it is!

[bRainville]

I'm not sure if I want to go see this or not. Movie tickets are $9 a person so someone needs to let me know if it's worth spending that much to go see it.

[Crabstick]

I'm not sure if I want to go see this or not. Movie tickets are $9 a person so someone needs to let me know if it's worth spending that much to go see it.
It's really good, a nice heartwarming story with enough drama not to make it all out gay.

[Metalhead636]

I saw it last week. I get acadamy tapes. I loved it. It will not win best picture, but it will get nominated and have a nice place in many peoples hearts.

[Houston]

bRainville - Every David Fincher film so far is worth the money paid to go see it, Benjamin Button is no exception.

I liked it very much, it won't win Best Picture, but I'm really hoping it wins Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Makeup, possibly Best Special Effects (Although Iron Man and TDK are still in contention for that). I could see Cate Blanchett getting a Best Actress nomination but not winning, it still doesn't touch KST.

8.5/10

[CnGy]

Roger ebert is a fucking moron. Did anyone see his god damn STUPID review?

He called the age thing a Gimmick.

So basically, he called Fitzgerald gimmicky.

Fuck you ebert.

[Allen]

Roger ebert is a fucking moron. Did anyone see his god damn STUPID review?

He called the age thing a Gimmick.

So basically, he called Fitzgerald gimmicky.

Fuck you ebert.

Fitzgerald wrote a comic farce, which Roth has made a forlorn elegy.

Not putting down Fitzgerald at all. He's right. The shorts story isn't a high drama like this movie clearly is meant to be.

I'm still going to go see this, though. Tonight, actually.

[Habitu]

I don't know about this movie, it just seems like one of those movies that I'll pass on until someone forces me to watch it. It doesn't seem too original, or good for that matter.

[hollywood_maggot]

It was a good movie. A bit too much american sentimental shit in it, a bit too much like Forrest Gump in reverse, but otherwise a good movie. There's a particularly haunting image in the first few minutes of the film involving time running backwards.

And its weird that it focuses around a couple...one of which I thoroughly dislike (Cate Blanchett's character). She played it well though.

Also, Brad Pitt is like my favourite actor, so yah.

[Rob]

There's a particularly haunting image in the first few minutes of the film involving time running backwards.

As far as I'm concerned the rest of the movie never topped this moment.

[hollywood_maggot]

That is true as well.

[John Travolta]

Brad Pitt did wonderfully, but I don't know how I felt about the film. It was great but not fantastic. The first few minutes was the highlight of the film by far and the man who was struck by lightning 7 times was reason enough to see it. The backwards clock was a great little part in the film and the first half was better than the second(the Tilda Swinton scenes were much too drawn out). The ending sequence was pretty good though. I'm not disappointed, but for some reason I don't feel very pleased. Must see.

[Rob]

Yeah, the emotion kind of felt shoehorned in at the end.

I couldn't seem to figure out what the movie was trying to get across until the last two minutes, which seemed wildly out of sync with the movie's premise. Here they had a guy aging backwards, but right when they get to the really interesting part (becoming a boy, then an infant) they cut away to Daisy's life apart from a few brief glimpses. That frustrated me since I really wanted to see what Benjamin was experiencing. They reduced his character to a gimmick in the final stretch.

And then suddenly the movie is about recognizing the people that affect you in life? They could have told this exact same story about a boy who ages normally.

[Chrisso]

I felt short changed at the end. I still didn't really care about anybody in the story.

Brad Pitt is an awesome actor. Cate Blanchett is an awesome actress.
This movie wasn't awesome at all, only decent.

[hollywood_maggot]

Yeah, Rob, thats kinda what I was getting at before. Except I can understand what they did once he was a kid. I think it would have been more out of place to have him still able to communicate his feelings, I mean, his 'baby' years are the same as old age, so the dementia thing worked. I was just really ticked off about the complete lack of teenage years, which they did avoid.

[Dacada]

It wasn't the story at all; it didn't even have the same kinda black humor, which I was looking forward to. Since so much was changed the backwards aging thing was actually kinda pointless.
That aside it was a good movie, just not what I was hoping for, a truer translation.

[hoopymo]

Heres a link to the full short story if anyones interested.

http://xroads.virginia.edu/~HYPER/Fitzgerald/jazz/benjamin/benjamin1.htm

[JohnDoe]

I just got back from seeing this tonight. I thought the whole plot was an awesome idea and setting, but it was to much of a romance for me to really enjoy the film. Overall though it really wasn't that bad and I'm not complaining about dropping the 9$ on seeing it.

[Ikin]

It was one of the better movies I've seen this year. Actual thought was put into it, unlike most Hollywood movies. Although I think it would have been better without the scenes in the present- it just starts out with a black screen and Brad Pitt saying "I was born under unusual circumstances."

And then suddenly the movie is about recognizing the people that affect you in life? They could have told this exact same story about a boy who ages normally.

I don't think that would have gotten the point across in quite the same way.

[Rob]

I don't think that would have gotten the point across in quite the same way.

Sure they could've. Boy grows up, has sex for the first time, drinks his first whiskey, gets a job on a boat during the depression, has an affair with a woman in Russia, fights in World War 2, marries his childhood sweetheart, leaves her, dies of old age. End with montage of all the interesting characters he parted with.. Think of it as a Forrest Gump prequel.

[hollywood_maggot]

Yeah, but it wouldn't have been as INTERESTING.

[Rob]

It would've had the exact same message though.

[kiumasi]

It some body really feels that nature been so hard on you it is the factor every one is not the same. I saw this movie called The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) (http://www.80millionmoviesfree.com)it is about a person who had a hash birth and much older and suffer from many disease.
So much of sorrow in the first part of it what do you think of it. Turn to free movie (http://www.80millionmoviesfree.com) it is where I always turn. More science faction than adventure love story for me.


http://www.80millionmoviesfree.com/top18/The-Curious-Case-of-Benjamin-Button.gif

[John Travolta]

What kind of leaves me wanting more is the fact that in the short story the life of Benjamin is consistent.

You know what's going on in his head until the very end, when he just becomes nonexistent. You're in his mind when everything goes blank as he blinks out of life. But it's not the same in the movie. The beginning was great because we were all with him as if the story was being told soley because this man was aging backwards. The end didn't seem that way, Benjamin was more of an island to the audience and I think that the audience should have been even closer to his thoughts than we were in the beginning of the film.

[SODA]

I just finished watching it, first of all this movie is way too fucking long. 2 hours and 44 minutes. Secondly, the build up to a normal guy is about 2 hours of that and then he is all like oh shit I have to go while my child is an infant even though when i come to see you and she is grown up I will only look in my 20's so I guess I could have probably stayed until then and it just fast forwards to him as an infant. I think they really missed a chance to make the movie interesting by cutting the arguably more interesting half of his life short.

[SourChicken]

I just finished watching it, first of all this movie is way too fucking long. 2 hours and 44 minutes. Secondly, the build up to a normal guy is about 2 hours of that and then he is all like oh shit I have to go while my child is an infant even though when i come to see you and she is grown up I will only look in my 20's so I guess I could have probably stayed until then and it just fast forwards to him as an infant. I think they really missed a chance to make the movie interesting by cutting the arguably more interesting half of his life short.

In the book (or shorty story?) he (Benjamin) comes back when he appears as 16 and his son is in his twenties. When they go out on the town, the son has to tell people that Benjamin is his nephew or something like that.

I'm not sure if I needed spoiler tags because it wasn't in the movie, but might as well, just to be on the safe side.

[John Travolta]

Ben's son actually had to tell everybody that Benjamin was his son, close though.

[SourChicken]

Thank you much, sir

[Derelict]

Soad, Benjamin wanted his child to grow up with a normal father, which is why he had to leave before she would remember him. He even says so in the movie.

It was really good. One word I'd use to describe it is 'lingering'. I kept thinking about it even after I left the theater.

[MusicalIdiot]

I liked this movie, but it had what I consider flaws. For instance, there were two things that I felt were unnecessary or more so, could have been approached much, much better.

The part that's probably the most memorable is the story of the clock maker who makes a clock that goes backwards to project his regret for letting his son leave his family to fight in a war. Okay, so it's a clock that goes backwards which relates to the backwards aging of Benjamin Button; but other than that, it really doesn't seem to connect in any other way. I just find it too awkward that the one of most memorable part wasn't even a part of the story itself.

The other thing that annoys me is how the story is being told, through the daughter reading a diary to her dieing mother. I felt their roles were pretty unnecessary, since they are rather flat characters (I'm separating the story mother from the dieing in bed mother). Basically, they'd read an entry of the diary and then it would cut back to them only to say things like "Oh, I never knew that." Or, "I'm sorry, I have to go call and check on my son." And sometimes they'd say things kind of well, stupid:

"Mom, I never knew about the dancing," the daughter says as she's looking at pictures of her mother in a dancer outfit, striking a pose. Then an hour later, there is a scene where Benjamin returns with the appearance of a twenty year old. He returns to Daisy in her freaking dancing studio. This scene is also where the daughter recalls seeing him there. What the hell? The daughter couldn't infer her mother was a dancer despite her studio? Okay, so maybe she's mainly referring her awe at her mother being a professional dancer, but still...

I didn't hate this movie, I actually liked it a lot compared to a lot of the crap that's been out lately. I'd give this movie a solid B rating.

[SODA]

"Mom, I never knew about the dancing," the daughter says as she's looking at pictures of her mother in a dancer outfit, striking a pose. Then an hour later, there is a scene where Benjamin returns with the appearance of a twenty year old. He returns to Daisy in her freaking dancing studio. This scene is also where the daughter recalls seeing him there. What the hell? The daughter couldn't infer her mother was a dancer despite her studio? Okay, so maybe she's mainly referring her awe at her mother being a professional dancer, but still...

Yeah I didn't even catch that, I can't believe no one noticed that before the film got put out.

[Derelict]

Actually, what she says is "Mom, you never talked about your dancing." The daughter was entirely aware that her mother danced, simply unaware that she did it at such a professional level when she was younger. That would have been far too big of a plot hole to have been left unchanged for both a book and movie.

[MusicalIdiot]

The script says, "You never talked about your dancing very much..." So my bad, I suppose I mixed up some quotes in my head or didn't hear the very much part. Either way, I still didn't like the characters, Caroline and the dieing version of Daisy.

[Derelict]

The actress playing the daughter did a good job of being distracted. She did what a normal person would do in that situation; she kept her mother comfortable, and tried to hide the fact that she'd much rather be safe somewhere rather than in a hospital with an oncoming storm. As much of saints as movies portray us, no one, no matter how virtuous they seem, wants to sit for hours and read a barely legible diary to someone who won't be there when it's done. They were useless characters, yes, but the story is meant to be told as a story, not directly as a film. A diary seems fitting.

[Brooser]

I saw this the other night, and I liked it a lot -- it was a lot more thoughtful than most of the stuff that's been in theaters. I liked the clock part a lot; my main complaint with that was that it didn't really relate to the story at all. I mean, okay, the backwards clock parallels Benjamin's backwards aging, but... I thought it might have been cooler if there was some kind of direct connection, maybe one that got revealed at the end.

The guy who got struck by lightning was funny. The audience would burst out laughing every time it showed him getting hit... it added a nice slap-stick humor element to the movie, keeping things light. =P

[John Travolta]

When the clock was taken down Benjamin died. How more direct can you get?

[Ikin]

my main complaint with that was that it didn't really relate to the story at all. I mean, okay, the backwards clock parallels Benjamin's backwards aging, but... I thought it might have been cooler if there was some kind of direct connection, maybe one that got revealed at the end.

The guy who got struck by lightning was funny. The audience would burst out laughing every time it showed him getting hit... it added a nice slap-stick humor element to the movie, keeping things light. =P

Personally, I got tired of that after about the third time. I thought it would have been funnier if he kept changing the number.

When the clock was taken down Benjamin died. How more direct can you get?

I don't think the clock had anything to do with Benjamin aging backward.

[Derelict]

It was just there to add a nice little connection and something to the story. Who cares if it doesn't look like it had a connection, it was still kind of cool. The clock got taken down and coincidentally Ben died. It was a neat addition.

[troydtroy]

This movie reminded me of forest gump for some reason