Subject:  my personal review of Benjamin Button |
Author:
Terry
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Date Posted: 08:50:24 02/22/09 Sun
This is the kind of film that was the reason for inventing cinema and film-making. I have not seen such a strong and emotional film in years and it's especially great since it stars Brad.
After having seen it, I fully understand its 13 Oscar-nominations. There is nothing that is not GREAT about this movie. Benjamin Button must live his life backwards, but what do we learn from it? It is not better the other way around. Benjamin has to make the same kind of experience like anyone else living his life the "normal" way.
In the beginning when the man constructs a clock that runs backwards it is a life-long dream of human beings for turning back the time to avoid negative things in life. In his case to bring back the son he lost in the war. Benjamin Button is the incarnation of this man's dream. But it shows us that also a man aging backwards can't escape his fate. He has to make the same experience in life, he will face the same loss, he also has to cope with missed chances. Benjamin Button's dilemma is that he can't age like anyone else and for that reason he is not allowed to live a life that all other people can.
He dares to live out his love with Daisy, with even knowing it won't be forever, since he will turn into a kid while Daisy turns older like everyone else. Of course he could have decided to not begin a relationship with her. That would not have caused so much tragedy in their lives - consider you love someone and simply are not allowed to share your life with this person and have to end it for that reason - but on the other hand they couldn't have lived out their love for one another. But in the end it is the love that counts and no one wants to miss this opportunity in life. Benjamin and Daisy know that and are ready to bear the consequences. Even if the inevitable comes and they have to separate, they shared time with each other and they LOVED.
That is the essence of the film.
This is a grand film about momentariness, happiness, death and most of all love. But it is also a film about time, precious time that is running too fast, time that simply runs through our fingers.
There is wisdom in this film like there is wit, there are comical situations that meet profound tragedy.
The film is long, but not too long or even boring. And credit for this factor must be given to David Fincher. He tells the story with narrative continuity, with a steady flow. Fincher is really an amazing director.
One of many highlights is the scene located in Paris. The circumstance that leads to Daisy's accident - the woman forgetting her coat, the waiting taxi, the truck - was told and filmed so brilliantly. I have never seen a better directed and filmed scene. For that scene alone Fincher would deserve an Oscar.
In addition the film's cinematogrophy is sensational. The scene where Daisy dances in front of Benjamin, the lighting is so beautiful. Or the colours in the Paris scene where Daisy has the accident. Paris is shown in constanct blue-grey colours, an amazing effect. There are so many great filmed scenes.
Not to forget the Make-up. If this film doesn't win an Oscar for achievement in make-up...
Benjamin's process from being old to slowly becoming younger was simply fantastic, it looked so real. Even the 20 year old Benjamin in Brad's last scene where he looked like Joe Black again. The same counts for Cate Blanchett's make-up. How she convincingly matured into this older woman was so believable. Not one single second I could not believe that she would look like that when she has reached an old age.
In this context I also have to mention the special effects. It is a masterstroke to use visual effects where the audience cannot recognise it and only can guess if they used computer technology in a certain scene or not. Of course you can see it in the scenes where Benjamin is a little old boy, but most of the times you cannot recognize it. And that sets it apart from special effects loaded films like Batman where everything seems so artifical.
There is great costume and set design too. We should not forget the film covers a period of more than 80 years, so the people behind it really had to face a task. And they did it right, I guess, with having received Oscar noms too.
There is also the beautiful music by Alexandre Desplat. There are many beautiful melodic ideas in the score. Another Oscar nomination fully deserved.
The film is also full of wonderful dialogues, you could listen to these people talk for hours. Eric Roth fully succeeded in adapting the short story to a film with almost three hour length. Not surprisingly he is up for an Oscar as well.
Of course this film is also carried by strong acting performances. I especially loved Taraj P. Henson as Queenie, a great performance. Cate Blanchett was very good too but was really outshined by Brad this time around. He did the same in Babel by the way. But boy, do these two have great chemistry. It sparkles, they complement one another. Loved all the scenes between these two and the conversations they had with each other.
I also loved the scenes Brad had with Tilda Swinton, they were beautifully played too. The dialogue they have is awesome too. You could listen to them for hours.
Brad's performance is the most soulful of the year. And I fully understand the praise he gets from critics all around. He not only plays Benjamin, he IS Benjamin, with every facial expression, with every part of his body.
He totally falls into character. One reviewer said with this performance Brad immortalized himself in Hollywood.
Well, for me has immortalized himself already in Thelma & Louise.
I think his nomination is a beautiful honor for a beautiful perfomance. He won't win mainly because this role is too passive. In the end the academy prefers performances that are more extrovert.
Even if The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button won't win Best Picture, it is such an honour to belong to the five best films of the year. Consider that they release more than 300 films a year.
I can't hardly wait for the DVD so I can rewatch this film over and over again. I think it needs mutiple viewing to fully undestand it. There is so much to discover, things that make you think about you and your own life.
Is it Brad's best film yet? Probably. At least it certainly is one of his very best. I can't think of any other of his films that has such value. Bravo to Brad and David and everyone else involved.
This is certainly a film for the ages, a film that speaks directly to your heart.
Terry
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