Comments on: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

By: coffee

coffee — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 23:24:01 +0000

it was a little weird to see an old version of Brad Pitt’s face pasted onto a kid’s body, but i guess that’s why they call it a “curious case”

By: Clay

Clay — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 17:34:28 +0000

Yeah, what was with that guy?

By: Amy

Amy — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 17:14:16 +0000

I neglected to make mention of the Gump comparison, which I totally didn’t notice when I watched the film but found myself fascinated by as I read your commentary. I’m trying to decide what might have served as the feather… maybe the lightning struck old man?

By: Dana

Dana — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 05:39:55 +0000

For some reason, I never thought of the Gump comparison, and, frankly, I still don’t really see it. The fact thkat he has a southern accent surely isn’t enough to make it Gump. And I don’t see that he was waiting all of his life to have his childhood crush come around and love him back–he clearly lived his life until close to the midpoint without being all that consumed by her, although they clearly always shared a bond and connection. And how were there any more historical events and figures than any story spanning nearly a century would use as demarcations?

Otherwise, I agree that this film was generally disappointing. The hurricane stuff was silly and the narrative unnecessary. I felt they spent far too much time in the childhood years (where, of course Brad could play looking old), and not enough time in the part that I found far more interesting, which is how you make a relationship work with 2 people heading literally in opposite age directions.His leaving her was absurd, but also a cheat of what should have been one of the more interesting parts of the movie.

Overall, a disappointment to be sure.

By: Kerrie Rueda

Kerrie Rueda — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 03:23:10 +0000

I, too, agree completely. Somehow, I enjoyed the film overall and found it haunting days later. But what I found so haunting was Benjamin himself – particularly as the child in an old man’s body, and then in his adolescent years. Once he hit “middle age” and “caught up” with Cate Blanchett’s character, it changed in tone for me. Brad Pitt did a very good job and the effects were fantastic, though.

Where I am 100% with you and Amy is the framing device. I was NOT a fan and didn’t think it was worth the time they spent on it. I mean, seriously, who didn’t know in the first five minutes how that was going to turn out? It was so predictable and just unnecessary, and I found that quite frustrating.

Another place I am with you is the cinematography. I commented on it in the middle of the film. It has all the hallmarks of an Academy darling from that perspective and I thought it was a really lovely film to look at.

Mom, Carlos and I saw this the day after Christmas and while we all liked it enough, we agreed that we probably wouldn’t ever see it again. Too bad, because I thought it would be one of those epics I’d want in my collection…

By: Clay

Clay — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 01:29:51 +0000

Yeah, leaving the family was absurd. I can see leaving if he was 5 years old, but he was still a grown man with many years of adulthood before him.

By: Amy

Amy — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 00:04:03 +0000

I agree with every word. I also found (major spoiler alert) the notion that he would leave his wife and daughter when he did to be absolutely absurd. He’s off frolicking in India while his family fares without him. Puhleeze.

I’ll also go a little stronger than you did, in that I strongly disliked, maybe even hated, the framing device. Just tell the damn story, and don’t leave unexplored the most fascinating aspects of it. This one was a big disappointment.