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Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The
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MPAA RATING: PG-13 for brief war violence, sexual content, language and smoking
Starring Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Taraji P. Henson, Julia Ormond, Jason Flemyng, Elias Koteas, and Tilda Swinton
“I was born under unusual circumstances.” And so begins The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, adapted from the 1920s story by F. Scott Fitzgerald about a man who is born in his eighties and ages backwards: a man, like any of us, who is unable to stop time. We follow his story, set in New Orleans from the end of World War I in 1918, into the 21st century, following his journey that is as unusual as any man’s life can be. Benjamin Button is a grand tale of a not-so-ordinary man and the people and places he discovers along the way, the loves he finds, the joys of life and the sadness of death, and what lasts beyond time. (Paramount Pictures)
| GENRE(S): | Drama | Fantasy | Mystery | Romance |
| WRITTEN BY: |
Eric Roth (& screen story)
Robin Swicord (screen story) |
| DIRECTED BY: | David Fincher |
| RELEASE DATE: | Theatrical: December 25, 2008 |
| RUNNING TIME: | 159 minutes, Color |
| ORIGIN: | USA |
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
The average user rating for this movie is 6.7 (out of 10) based on 195 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Katie S gave it a3:
Ponderous, boring. BB's reverse aging actually contributes little to the plot, since he has the mind of a young person in the beginning, and of an old person at the end, so what you're left with is just a conventional life story that has no real individuating elements, just a bunch of nearly randomly assembled elements pulled out of the grabbag of movie cliches: overwrought military death scenes already a subject for parody in Tropic Thunder. The everything could have been different montage before the tragic accident. Etc. The only real unique interest in the reverse physical aging plot could have come in the last 20 years of Button's life, and there was a potentially good short movie inside this unfortunately long one. It would have involved B having a continuous relationship with his family. An interesting and courageous movie could have shown him as an experienced man in a child's body, treated like a child in society, eventually not allowed to make his own decisions, interacting with his child in the body of a child, having sex with his aging wife as a teenager until they have to stop--the conflict between desire, repulsion, and social restraint there *could* have been an amazing story. But it wasn't to be. And further it was poorly cast; Pitt and Blanchett have no chemistry and aren't plausible as a couple, and Pitt seems a little too dumb in his affect to play "simple" without becoming totally insipid and boring. I didn't like much Forrest Gump much, and in fact thought it's entire value system (Forest's disengagement is purity/Jenny's engagement is corruption) was messed up, but at least in its messed up value system it was an interesting social text. This was just maudlin kitsch.
max j gave it a10:
An amazing, magical, sad, heartwarming and a classic piece of theater. the best movie i've ever seen in my entire life. every bit is pure freshness and absaloutley perfect in every way.
James H. gave it a1:
The film seemed to have no point other than to show authentic costumes and sets from its various time periods. I felt no connection to the characters during the almost 3 hour running time. Did the story have a point?
Chip L gave it a4:
A poor man's Forrest Gump. Every scene tries to be heartwarming, meaningful, important, prophetic....But it comes out cold and creepy without a likable or realistic character. Brad PItt is especially unmoving and even the always capable Cate Blanchett comes across as shrill and false. The worst of the "prestige" movie is all here.
Betty L gave it a3:
If you want to know what it would be like if a man was born old and then grew younger, watch this. However it is a long tedious movie experience with little redeeming qualities, great visually, but the plot lacks certain elements for a good story, such as, characters that make you feel for them.
Robert A. gave it a10:
It was very uplifting and had a moral to the story, which is unusual nowadays.
John H. gave it an8:
This well-done movie makes one think about life through the story and acting -- A very credible, well told story that keeps one engaged throughout. How one could rate this movie a "0" or even a "1" or "2" - is unclear. What the movie lacked in whirlwind 'blow em up and shoot em dead' movies with an excess of obscenity, gratuitous sex and gore --- it more than made up for in an insiteful, absorbing story. Who among us has not said, "boy, if I only knew then, what I know now" Or contemplated the cycle of life from a relatively helpless baby --- back to a relatively helpless elderly person? It's difficult to find movies that develop character and a storyline (versus special effects and noise) -- This one is a 'thumbs-up' for good adult entertainment.
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