Sunday, 25 January 2009 09:05 pm
Review: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
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deckardcanineCCBB would be only the second fantasy ever to win Academy Best Picture, yet I will not be at all surprised if it does. Even putting aside the nearly record number of nominations, it has the feel of previous Best Pictures. Forrest Gump repeatedly came to mind as I watched, what with the multi-decade scope, the on-and-off romance, the gentle score alternating with era hits, and the heavy-handed symbolism.
But my dad and I aren't sure just how good to pronounce CCBB. While never exactly boring, the pace is frequently slower than it has to be, which is significant when the film runs 2 hours and 45 minutes. The second half is less interesting. Characters other than Benjamin tend to be cardboard cutouts, especially the sea captain. Some questions remain unanswered, such as how Benjamin could know all the details surrounding one particular event. CCBB is never as funny as FG, and I don't think it's quite as poignant. Benjamin's romantic and sexual mores leave something to be desired, yet the filmmakers tacitly approve them. (Guess we have to expect as much from David Fincher.)
It's still good, I grant, and perhaps a worthier contender than Milk. But if it were up to me, underdog Slumdog Millionaire would win. Now there's some diversity I really want to see in the Academy pantheon. And hey, IMDb voters collectively consider it the second best movie of 2008. You can guess the first.
But my dad and I aren't sure just how good to pronounce CCBB. While never exactly boring, the pace is frequently slower than it has to be, which is significant when the film runs 2 hours and 45 minutes. The second half is less interesting. Characters other than Benjamin tend to be cardboard cutouts, especially the sea captain. Some questions remain unanswered, such as how Benjamin could know all the details surrounding one particular event. CCBB is never as funny as FG, and I don't think it's quite as poignant. Benjamin's romantic and sexual mores leave something to be desired, yet the filmmakers tacitly approve them. (Guess we have to expect as much from David Fincher.)
It's still good, I grant, and perhaps a worthier contender than Milk. But if it were up to me, underdog Slumdog Millionaire would win. Now there's some diversity I really want to see in the Academy pantheon. And hey, IMDb voters collectively consider it the second best movie of 2008. You can guess the first.
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I've heard similar mixed reviews about Benjamin Button, seems like this is another year where there's no spectacular film to win Best Picture, so a second-rate film will have to do.
I just finished watching Laura for the first time today, it brought back fond memories of the days when stimulation came from the intellectual side instead of the visual side of the film.
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That's why I said "second." I'm pretty sure TRotK is the only one so far. I'm less sure of whether they're likely to award another fantasy this soon after. The first two westerns ever to win came only two years apart and late in the genre's lifetime, but sometimes I think the Academy hates to award similar things too close together.
But I don't think the competition is all second-rate this year. The other two nominees I've seen so far appeal to me more than any from 2003.
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