TopaZ in CA:

At the screening, director David Fincher was asked what he?d like people to take away from this film, to which he replied, "Er, er, er..." I?ll spare you the 7 "er"s that followed, but my viewing of the film confirmed this: Mr. Fincher, a gifted storyteller, has created a film he knows nothing about. Before going on I must touch on the short story. It?s only 7 pages long, and a quick net search will allow you to discover on your own why it's one of Fitzgerald's lesser-known works -- it's not that great. In his story, Benjamin is born with the mind of an old man as well, speaking perfectly and full of attitude. The biggest problem is that living life in reverse is not all that different. Sure, there's more "arrogance of youth" in a wise 50 year-old mind in the body of a 25 year-old, and it says something about discrimination that Ben is never treated "appropriately" at any age. But in either direction, we live a bit, then we live really hard, then we lose the ones we love, then we lose ourselves. Changing directions is, then, not nearly as enlightening as the film thinks it is. Worse, Fincher admitted that neither he nor screenwriter Eric Roth even READ the story, choosing instead to be inspired by its mere premise. And in ditching one of the main themes (in the film, Ben is born only physically old - his mind is a child), it is robbed of what little substance it had. The final mistake is a key choice that Ben makes in the final hour of this 3-hour (!) tale, which I won?t spoil. I will say that it is devoid of any logic, compassion, or selflessness, and completely derails the intended sentiment, nullifying the greatest statement the movie had to make. It is tragic, then, that everything else in this film is so darn good. It is beautifully photographed, acted, and written -- there is just nothing behind the curtain. Mr. Roth actually wrote this film before his adaptation of the vastly superior "Forrest Gump." I'll bet the bank that he read that book.

Southern Belle 1:

PLEASE IGNORE THE SPOILER ALERT - IT MUST BE A BROKEN FEATURE. "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" is a 1921 short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I was aware of the basic premise before seeing it: A baby, Benjamin Button (played superbly by Brad Pitt), who has all the features and health issues of an 85-year-old man, is born in 1918. He begins life at an advanced age and progressively gets younger. The love interest is Daisy (a perfectly cast Cate Blanchett), a girl who meets Benjamin when she is a mere child and he is an old man. As Daisy grows older and Benjamin grows younger, they enjoy a few years of normalcy, yet they are both aware that dramatic physical changes are taking place. The story, set in New Orleans as Hurricane Katrina approaches the city, brought tears to my eyes - I found it tender and emotionally heartwrenching. The visual effects and CGI are impressive. Brad Pitt is magnificent. You literally fall in love with a sweet, caring, lovable Benjamin at each of his ages. The only flaws: 1.) It is difficult to understand what the dying Daisy is saying, and 2.) The movie is not 100 minutes long as stated; it's nearly 3 hours long - at least 30 minutes too long, in my opinion, resulting in a few tedious segments. Nonetheless, I would recommend this to any romantic soul who enjoys a solid yet magical tale. 12-31-08

JB Seriously 55:

Another overly long film. It had an interesting premise and it kept me going to find out how he would decline and what he would look like. Some of it could have been better off being left on the cutting room floor as it could have been shorter and still projected the intended feel and messages. Brad Pitt was excellent in this film. It was the best film I have seen him in, although I have only seen about 3 or 4 of them. Cate Blanchett was also excellent, but the narration which was Blanchett at about ninety years old on a hospital bed and on her last breath for the entire two hours and thirty six minutes was a bit much. Also the New Orleans accents were barely tolerable. An interesting story with many twists and turns, this film was worth the watch, but no more. (4/19/09)

Flock of Mice:

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is the worst high production value movie I have ever wasted my time watching. In fact, I'm convinced that with less money, a much better movie could have been produced. For example, there is simply not 166 minutes of material. Sure, the 100 minutes of absoluetely nothing happening is filled with beautiful scenery, but the 66 minutes of plot rattling around in the bottom of the 166 minute can is a mix of unmotivated and nearly random actions taken by a character who is only sympathetic because he's the focus, not because the viewer relates to his hum-drum mentality.

jcranma:

A good flick with a considerably strong plot and premise. Oddly enough, this is a Fincher film that could easily be mistaken for something that Robbert Zemeckis and Tom Hanks would have done during the 1990s. Fincher's touches just isn't present enough here. The direction that made "Fight Club" and "Seven" great films is missing on this one. Its main weaknesses are its: lack of editing in certain segments, a lack of steady direction, and an execution that could have been "reigned in" to make the film stronger as a whole. Pitt and Blanchett, and the supporting cast deliver competent performances. Note that I find the first two to be major liabilities in whatever films they are on. Having read a few Fitzgerald works, I would bet money that the material works better on print rather than film. Having seen, "Gran Torino", "Valkyrie", and this one during a span of a week and a half, "Ben Buttons" is the weakest one out of the three. It is the more skip worthy out of the three. Nevertheless, it's still worth checking out on DVD. (01/04/09)

dfwforeignbuff:

I guess I must be a sap at heart but I LOVED this movie. I think its a very evocative presentation of NOLA of the 1930s. Really its a well told fairy tale about a guy who ages the opposite of the rest of us. The movie/plot has a few problems and there might be some other complaints by other reviewers but I find this film leaning toward the fantasy films of the golden age of Hollywood. I am sorry Ebert did not like it but where is his usual "watch with an open mind attitude"?? Brad Pitt played this role with great sensitivity and emotion. Kate Blanchette is stunning. Cinematography and sets fantastic. So the plot is a little weak... who cares-- I really enjoyed the film and was spellbound the entire 2 1/2 hours. five stars highest rating one of the top films of 2008 ps I watch this on big screen and fairly high end audiophile system and the sound engineering/soundtrack of this film is so fantastic--perfectly balanced not overbearing no unnecessary music in places not needed. Really live jazz sounds in the live settings; sounds of nature sounding perfectly real. one of the top films of 2008 again this is another one that I cannot believe I did not see on the big screen in a theater five stars highest rating.

Rigel:

Perhaps I'm just misinterpreting the story, but am I supposed to be endeared to Benjamin Button, who has affairs with multiple married women, abandons his partner and child, and only comes back when he needs to be taken care of? The performance and production of this nearly three-hour feature is certainly excellent, and I was willing to accept his luring women to infidelity as a romanticized character trait, but when the protagonist completely fails to learn one of the film's primary lessons, failing to take responsibility for his child in the same way his father did, I really started to dislike him. It doesn't help that the film primarily focused on the exhaustive romances and trysts of a rather dull individual with the only mildly-interesting trait of aging backwards, whose adventures are brushed by with little more mention than in a postcard. It felt much more like a watered-down "Forrest Gump" crossed with Pitt's earlier and much more enjoyable epic drama "Meet Joe Black". Pitt's Death certainly wandered the corridors of this film, with a body count rivaling many horror outings I've seen. If you're interested in great acting and production values, make yourself comfortable, but be sure to bring a caffeinated beverage to stay awake.

Bob Violence:

Good movie, but LOOOOOOOONG! Fincher could have easily cut 45 minutes out of this thing, and it would have been more enjoyable.

Nick :

This movie could have been an hour shorter. With that being said, i do recommend it. There are some pretty moving parts. It's just funny how life is just a circle.

pgb 799582:

The curious case of Benjamin button was a great moveis. Loved it!! Such a good movie! Balled my eyes out! Brings tissues

Mooovie Cowboy:

I just finished watching this movie, while I didn't think it was a bad movie it really didn't hold my atention very well. IMO most of the movie could have used more light because I found that they were really dark and it was hard to see what was going on. Also most of the time I had to turn up the volume just to hear what they were saying. Kind of a spoiler but not really so don't read any more if you don't want to know. Nothing about the plot just the movie. The old lady who was sick through the whole movie was hard to understand. I know she was on her death bed but still they could have had her speak more clearly than she did. I know these problems are probably on my side with my current equipment but still it would have been nice to be able to watch it on what I had available to me. Over all It's an ok movie but I can't give it more that 3 stars because for me it was just to hard to watch.

Jeremy Thomas:

Is it too early for the Criterion Collection to take The Curious Case of Benjamin Button underneath its exclusive wing? Perhaps; certainly there were better films to come out in the last years. That list is very few and far-between however, and the question of its selection by Criterion is a debate for another time. Either way there is no denying that the movie stands out among the best of 2008, featuring a classic story, great performances by the entire cast, incredible special effects and great direction from David Fincher.

les 630347:

The movie was fair overall. The concept of aging backwards is unusual. Reading the plot, I was wondering before I saw it how an old man could be born from his mother. I will not spoil it, but they had to do some modifications. The creatively of the idea has been in most of our minds on how to age in reverse. I am surprised that Ben wasn't a government lab experiment in this movie and able to avoid that since everyone who knew him was sympathetic regarding his age regression. If written by a modern author, it would probably take on that angle. ALL the actors including Cate and Brad do a wonderful job. The problem with the film is two things which hurt it: The audio track is terrible in terms of listening to their dialog. Between the muted Southern-like accents obliterating their speech, the music and background noise overcoming the vocals track, and the actors talking softly at times themselves; one has a difficult time throughout the most of the movie to understand what they said. The exception is the most of the last quarter of the movie where the vocals improve. The other thing is that the movie is long, but it needs to be in order to cover the facets of their lives. I see the movie started to jump great periods of time at the end. Hey, if the movie is meant to be long, let it be long and don't make it choppy at the end. II personally was wondering how Ben was going to die. Is there a point to the movie? No. It is just meant to be entertaining and creative. The make-up applications to the actors are an A+. Cute movie, but again; the audio definitely needs improvement -- vocals need to stand out.

Agorante:

There will be no spoilers here. I never saw the last half of this film. The Blu-ray disk stopped working after about an hour and a half. I reported the problem but chose not to get a replacement. The first hour or so is bad watching. Everybody is old - the action takes place in an old folks home. If I want to see decrepit old people I'll just look in the mirror thank you very much. I want to see beautiful strong young people. I wasn't attracted to the story but a lot of the best movies I've seen recently have starred Brad Pitt - Ingloreus Basterds, Burn After Reading, Troy, etc.. Alas even a brilliant portrayal by Pitt can't save this dog of a movie. It's a one joke tale. I used to know a woman who was a makeup artist. She went to Hollywood. She might enjoy this thing, but this is just a series of makeup changes reminiscent of those Ross Hunter movies where the female star changes her costume in every scene.

Chuckie13:

A good movie that probably comes across as better than it actually is because of the presentation of it. The cinematography, the effects, the direction...all were excellent. The movie has a good feel to it, and even though it is a bit long, it doesnt really drag along. I have read critics who have compared this to Forrest Gump. I can see where that comparison makes sense, but I think this movie will hold up better than Gump in the long run. A good movie, nothing out of this world, but worth a watch.

Supercords:

Refreshing to see a movie with characters and story development once again. I was not put off by the length or pacing. If my interest is held, you can take as long as you like to tell me a story. The scenes are beautifully shot and the movie-magic used doesn?t take away from the acting, which is terrific. David Fincher is truly becoming one of the greatest directors of our time. Rating: A

E-Weezie:

A bit long...needlessly. But how I enjoyed Benjamin's whimsical and mercurial spirit. I just think I could have enjoyed it in a shorter span. I didn't enjoy Cate Blanchett's performance as a dying elderly woman at all; I found her voice and attempts at struggling to breathe to be annoying -- I cringed when those parts came up. As a matter of fact, I didn't enjoy her as the leading actress at all, and I'm a big fan of hers. Good movie, but it didn't steal my heart. No.

Andsav:

Easily one of the most unusual, original, and heart-warming movies to come out in 2008. Brad Pitt and Cate Blachett were really on top of their game in this film. Their performances were flawless. I had my doubts about Pitt's acting, but he really blew me away in this movie. The direction was brilliant. At almost three hours this movie could have easily dragged, but the plot was so interesting (a novel approach on life and aging) that I didn't notice it. THe ending was heart-breaking but luckily didn't quite follow the typical Hollywood happy ending. Too bad it was shut out at award season by Slumdog. Very memorable movie that is highly recommended.

ENPIV:

I've seen all the movies nominated for best picture of 2008. This was my favorite. It is epic in scope and fascinating on a personal scale at the same time. Pitt and Blanchett perform perfectly. Swinton and Henson shine in smaller roles. David Fincher is perhaps the best director working today. This movie couldn't have been made until recently, due to the technology of Button aging in reverse. The effects are seamless and unnoticeable. The film is long, but it has much to say about life and the human experience.

SamirR:

This is one of those movies that is interesting enough for you to keep watching in the hope of some real payback but 3hours go by and you are still left waiting. There are times that remind you of Forrest Gump and others that seem to point to the Time Travellers Wife (the book which admittedly was written after this short story). The main concept sounded interesting on paper but ultimately feels wasted and comes across as more of a gimmick to showcase makeup and effects than anything else.

SUOrange!:

This movie is good, but it is so boring and long. I went an hour and a half watching this until I stopped the movie. The acting was great, but to make a 7 page short story into nearly a 3 hour movie is ridiculous. So many parts of this movie could've been edited out from the movie. Movies that get my attention have either suspense, action, or dramatic events that change the whole movie. This movie had one brief war seen that didn't get me interested. This movie had everything that the Academy Awards Committee likes in a movie. The movie is great, but it's too boring and long for me to stand. I recommend you try to watch this movie though. It'll be tough.

qkd 275177:

A movie is just that - not a life changing experience. The movie was more than beautiful. It was funny,sensual, and touching. It was a form of entertainment that I appreciate. Great job - I loved it.

2b1c84e5f9:

One of decent topics for a great movie is aging. While I was watching this movie, I kept thinking about important questions about the life. Birth, death, aging, and desire to be younger. One of best movies of my life. Strongly recommended.

PF 1339113:

Not impressed. I'm surprised that Brad Pitt got nominated for best actor for this. I usually like his stuff but in this one the sfx did all work for him. The hurricane Katrina also felt out of place and unnecessary. A thoroughly disappointing flick.

GebertUSC:

After viewing this film at a preview screening, I can officially say that David Fincher is one of our generation's most skilled directors. 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button' is a moving and emotional movie without the overwrought melodrama. While the film is quite long, the complexity of the story and the film's surprising humor make it entirely bearable. Additionally, the performances of Pitt, Blanchett, Swinton and the rest of the supporting cast were pitch perfect with subtly, poise and grace.(One can only hope Teraji Henson gets recognition for her humorous and loving portrayal of Queenie). It goes without explanation that this film -like other Fincher films- is visually beautiful. But more so than his other works, this film captures honest human emotion and thematic complexity. No film in recent memory delves as deep into the themes of age and time with as much success and elegance.

Akethan:

Just throwing stars at what's a great story is counter-productive here. It's not surprising or unexpected. It's a short story that is stretched unimaginably into an unengrossoing overlength movie. They could have easily dispatched with a whole segment where Cate Blanchett simply fails to look both ways before crossing an intersection. The story THE CONFESSIONS OF MAX TIVOLI is more flushed out than BENJAMIN BUTTON and might have more meat for a movie. But all the same, this movie didn't need the Hollywood effect that was applied overthickly.

rej 623950:

The problem with this movie is that the 2.5 hours feels like 10. You will not care more for Benjamin or Daisy at the end of the movie than you do at the start. Some moments are awkward, most are historically inaccurate (blacks and whites sharing the same bus?), and the characters never pull you in or make you want to care about them.

chrisWhite:

I really don't know where to start with this movie, it's incredible on so many levels?though not without flaws?so it's intimidating to try to do the movie justice. Let's start with the first act, I really feel like this first act is the strongest part of the movie. Benjamin is incredible, I've seen many amazing CG humans before but nothing lives up the the level of Benjamin as a physically old man, so much so that I've seen many animators who were shocked that it was a digital character for much of the beginning of the movie. This also must have posed some pretty large challenges for the actors to act to with the warmth, surprise and horror of the baby bold so very old, not to mention the incredible editing work they did as well. From a story perspective, I think this was the part of the film that most resonated with me. Seeing Benjamin grow up mentally while getting younger physically was I think the juxtaposition was at it's most drastic. I loved the absurdity of such a young person visiting a brothel and having his first drink while everyone around him thought him so old. I also loved Daisy's reaction to him, understanding his personality and maturity when no one else seamed to know how to treat him. I was mesmerized though this entire first act. Then Benjamin started to grow up, get physically stronger and the arks converge, the story continued to be very interesting. I loved the subplot with Tilda Swinton, it was so awkward and subtle with new emotions waking in Benjamin. In the end though, it was just Brad Pitt being Brad Pitt, nothing seemed off and nothing really resonated with me from this part of the film. I only have believed Daisy's character throughout this section and I defiantly didn't fully believe Benjamin was the same man he had been growing up.

cartman2:

I really really enjoyed watching this movie alot. IMO it's one of brad pitts best movies. The story line was just amazing. One movie I would love to buy for my shelf. I would recommend this one to anybody.

RaisedByWolves:

Some other reviewers were rather harsh with this film, but I think I appreciate it more because I see it in a different light. Some viewers seem to think that it was a mistake for the writers to end it the way they did with Benjamin leaving the way he did when he did. I won't go into detail about his leaving so I don't spoil it for others who haven't yet seen it, but I do think it was appropriate writing. The idea of the story is to show that old age and childhood aren't much different and the film showed the similarities brilliantly. Screenwriter Eric Roth and director David Fincher took the idea from a short story and expanded it into a visually beautiful and emotional film. It was the ending of the film that some other reviewers questioned and didn't think the ending fit the story. I have to disagree... while I don't like the choices Benjamin made at the end and feel he could have done things differently, I believe the filmmakers had a reason for ending it that way and I thought it made sense even tho I didn't like it. That's how life is... we have one chance to live it and sometimes we make bad decisions... even if you age in reverse. It doesn't make you any wiser.

bka 468087:

One of the best movies I have seen! Brad Pitt can play ANY part and the story touched my heart.

DavidHalberstadt:

David Fincher is another one of my directors and Benjamin Button is a departure from his usual work which is rather kinetic and stylish. One could almost see his previous feature Zodiac as being a stepping stone toward this film. This is not to downplay Zodiac because I love it dearly but both of these movies are rather slow and have long running times. Normally this would entail the movie would be boring but somehow he manages to keep it interesting. Despite the fact that Benjamin Button is 20 minutes shy of 3 hours in length, I never felt the length. The cinematography is absolutely stunning and special effects are fantastic. Brad Pitt gives one of his most subdued performances to the point where I never really thought about him as being Brad Pitt. The makeup they put on him is incredible. Each stage of his life looks completely believable and it?s amazing how young they were able to make him look toward the end. It was almost like having pretty boy Brad back before I respected him as an actual actor.

BlueVoid:

The best thing going for this film is that it's beautiful to look at. I had really high hopes for this film, but it simply doesn't deliver despite all of its potential. The concept of the film had me anticipating the release for months wondering how they would pull it off. The directing was sadly its downfall. The story drags a bit, and the way its told kept me disengaged and at times annoyed. There are some moving scenes, and it does make you think about life, love and death; but it certainly doesn't go beyond a fairly mediocre melodrama. A lot has been said about the performances, but on a whole they were nothing special. Brad Pitt did a fine job, nothing fantastic. The visual effects and makeup deserve the credit in this film, as it was spectacular what they managed to pull off. There is enough good in this film to make me recommend it, but I was slightly let down none the less.

lastliberal:

With 13 Oscar nominations and three wins, and almost as many BAFTA nominations and wins, there is no doubt that this is one of the best films of last year. First off the makeup and visual effects and sets and cinematography and sound were all superb as one would expect of a film of this caliber. The acting? Well, Cate Blanchett, Taraji P. Henson, Brad Pitt, Julia Ormond, and Tilda Swinton were all absolutely amazing. Yes, there was a huge cast of supporting characters, both playing the above at different ages, and there were others interacting. They all made this a most enjoyable experience. It was Eric Roth's screenplay and David Fincher's direction that pulled it all together into one of the most captivating movies I have ever seen. The lines in the film were some of the most thought provoking imaginable. What a beautiful love story.

Jollymann:

Frankly I thought the conditions of the story were unnecessarily twisted from the intentions of the short story. Of course it ought to be read by anyone watching this film. It is a short story after all, 10 or 15 pages worth. It was meant to be that the younger growing character begins from being an old man totally, not some freaky baby, and freaky midget. It's like they wanted to get cute with mini-robots and special effects dwarfs. That was the whole idea for starters, that he looks old and has the mannerisms of an old man in his seventies(in the story) and tastes; smokes cigars, doesn't like milk much, reads encyclopedias, etc, while his father wants him to actually act in most ways like a child. The whole black mother substitution was odd to me. He was meant to be the abnormal person in ordinary circumstances, not abnormal in abnormal. For instance, it was intended that he know his children and parents with the merging of ages happening again and again. There were so many differences in the stories that it would of been more fair to say "inspired" from than "adapted" from. It was too fast and loose for that. It was too much of an attack on class structure and so racially diverse that the main theme was challenged wrongfully at least some of the time. There was just no need for that. Some special things about the story were lost in the process. I did actually think the acting was fairly worthwhile. I saw this more for Kate than Brad. I was impressed with the period details. If Kate's character is going to smoke then they ought to have her just smoke. It looked faked that and it was distracting. D.J. 2-2009.

JDoors:

A baby born with the features and metabolism of a dying old man grows up in reverse, getting younger as everyone he knows grows older. A tragic love story that uses Benjamin Button's bizarre (and unexplained) age-reversal to demonstrate the brevity of the human condition. It's a BEAUTIFUL story, the film itself is amazing, with a perfect cast. Much has been said of the visual effects (which I didn't find all that stunning, UNTIL they SUBTRACTED twenty years from Pitt -- How'd they do THAT?), but it's the SOUND design that really shines; fluttering wings, trickling water, rattling shutters, all of which places you IN every scene. The movie's long and it's "simply" about one person's otherwise pedestrian life, so although there are a few scenes of action and suspense if you need constant frenzied action to keep your attention I'm guessing you'll get bored before you have the chance to fall in love with this great; story, film, performance, sound, and the achievment that this film represents. Personally, although I loved 'Slumdog Millionaire' I'm not sure I would have given that film the 2009 Best Picture Oscar over this film (it's close though).

drella:

I really enjoyed this movie for the first 2 hours, but once Brad Pitt was "young" looking and Kate Blanchette took a up most of the storytelling my interest started to wain. The character of Daisy was not believable in why Benjamin would spend his whole life loving and longing her. Kate Blanchette was miscast and the way the character of Daisy was written in the film was as a selfish, bland and overly self-congratulatory. I had an easier time believing that Brad Pitt's Benjamin could age backwards, then that Daisy was worth all that trouble. While the cinematography is beautiful, the CGI effects are amazing. Brad Pitt gives a great performance, but its Taraji P. Henson who steals the show.

AtTheBeach:

"Benjamin Button" is a creative endeavor that would have been better had it been shortened from its length of almost three hours. It is reminiscent of "Forrest Gump" with a tugboat (instead of a shrimp boat); a colorful captain who is a tattoo artist (instead of the colorful shrimp expert; a life long love interest admired by the main character that is never going to last; and a main character with a bizarre series of life experiences. And, as it turns out, the screen writer for "Benjamin Button" and "Forrest Gump" are the same person. "Benjamin Button"is a tear-jerker. The main point seems to be that everyone lives, loves and dies in different ways and to appreciate the time we are given to enjoy life. "Benjamin Button" is worth seeing because it is different and creative. It is full of symbolism and energy and will make many film lovers cry. Despite the length, the movie will keep your attention. Cate Blanchett and Brad Pitt are the focal point and pull off difficult roles with an unbelievable scenario and make the movie entertaining and memorable.

demonduck:

This movie shows off not only the substantial and yet subtle power of special effects, but also the substantial and subtle talents of Brad Pitt. The movie quickly endears you to Benjamin's character as he gives a unique interpretation of the meaning of our lives in reverse. The thematic mining, however, that seems to have gone into making this film is perhaps its best quality.This movie nay seem longish but the merit of really getting a sense of this character's life is well worth it.

tntbaker1:

I rate this movie 3 stars. It is passable. This type of movie is not generally my cup of tea. Do not get me wrong, the story is interesting and well done. Just not a big drama person. Plus, the movie is nearly 3 hours long. I am not a fan of movies that take really long but do not have that much story to tell. While I think that this movie could have been a little shorter, there is a lot to cover on this story. The 2 main characters are performed well. The special effects and cinematography are well done. If the length of the movie does not put you off then this is worth a rental.

Lobster:

A triumph of computer-generated imaging, make-up, and Cate Blanchett. Brad Pitt plays Brad Pitt and, Oscar nomination or not, fails to give us an emotional life we can care about. Compare the film to its brother, Forrest Gump, and note how in one our interest is always on the title character and in the other just on his appearance.

kmahe:

A mature Forrest Gump; but even moreso a "love note to New Orleanians" and to all the nomad misfits out there. Since I am both, I loved this movie. The GREAT: best edited and shot movie of the year. The not so great: Probably too long, many might not get a real raison d'etre out of it. But if you are a native New Orleanian, or someone who has lived the life of a traveling outcast, you should love it.

dcfemella:

I have always loved "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald; both the book and the movie. When I heard about this movie in the summer, and I found out it was based off F. Scott Fiztgerald's book about a man who is getting younger instead older, I jumped at the chance to see it. It was a plus that Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Tilda Swinton, and Julia Ormond were in it. Today I headed to the theater with Heather to see if this movie was able to do Fitzgerald justice. It did. After the 30 minutes of commercials and previews, the movie finally started. It was very creative of Paramount to have the Paramount icon created full of buttons. I already knew that I was going to love the movie, even though that really had nothing to do with it. The acting was superb. From the beginning of the movie, I had tears in my eyes and laughter coming out of my mouth. Pitt did an amazing job as the curious Benjamin Button. At every moment of his age, I believed him. He played the old man with a child's innocence with such precision that I had to remind myself that it The symbolism in the movie was well thought out. I haven't read the book, so I'm not sure if it was in there already. The hummingbird flying around in unexpected times signified the freedom and bewilderment that surrounded Button and Daisy. The people Benjamin met all molded him into the person he was. It was great how he recognized that. It was great how past events were shown using an old-fashioned camera. It kind of took the same method in "Forrest Gump." I thought that it gave visual breaks in the long movie. What made it more interesting is how they used different formats of old cameras to represent the past.

simplygreg:

How can one not love this modern-day fable that literally turns life inside out. Once you get past the amazing special effects and get to the meat of the film it is a bit oversweet but full of promise.