| Overall Grade: |
C |
|
| Story: |
C |
|
|
| Acting: |
A |
|
|
| Direction: |
B+ |
|
|
| Visuals: |
A+ |
|
|
Got Gump?
by Jim B (movies profile)
Dec 24, 2008
48
of
76 people found this review helpful
The Curious Case of taking from the past, refurbishing that and selling it as new. It appears this film is “Forrest Gump” meets “Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells It All” in it’s telling. Eric Roth (Writer) takes directly from his earlier work Forrest Gump, right down to the obvious use of catch phrases such as “You never know what is around the corner” -or its nephew, and the use of the main character working on boat in the Gulf of Mexico to becoming an accidental war hero. This film is a noticeable highjack of these recent stories and not an adaptation of, or a continuation to clarify the past. When the film reaches all it can steal from its former self and begins to deal with BB as a middle aged man and youth the film loses interest in itself and quickly sloshes to its obvious end.
As a film, this film parallels originality like marketing a new type of Mac’n Cheese or a can of Chef Boyardee Spaghetti Pizza.
F Scott Fitzgerald wrote the very humorous short story of “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” about the birth to a seventy year old bearded man to a Baltimore MD family, who lives his life devolving in age and manner, and his effect on those around him. This film with Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett really isn’t that short story by Fitzgerald. I’m thinking in order to give credibility to this new project they had to name the film thus giving it immediate stature or it would be viewed as Forest Gump II- the elder.
This film is a tremendous accomplishment in film wizardry by those in the Make-up, CGI and Editing departments. Their work is seamless and breathtaking in their perfection. It is also a great vehicle for Brad Pitt playing Benjamin Button whose work is almost transcendent as the older BB, as well Cate Blanchett’s work as the bed ridden and dying Daisy relating the story of Benjamin to her daughter played by Julia Ormond who leafs through an old diary by Benjamin reading to Daisy; and Kudos to Taraji P. Henson for her work as Queenie, Button’s stepmother.
In all, Credit should go to Director David Fincher for his work in telling this story. At two hours and forty-five minutes it zips along keeping the audience interested, from the wow of visual artistry to directing the talent.
This is not my favorite film this year however to its praise at times it is one of the more interesting films I’ve seen. Sometimes spectacular isn’t the way to tell a story but in this day of hard times it might be an antidote for relieving stress for a few short hours. |
My Public Profile 
