The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: Movie Review

Not worthy of the rights to Fitzgerald's short story.

This film has the audacity to claim that it is based on the short story The Curious Case of Benjamin Button by the incomparable F. Scott Fitzgerald (published in 1922) who credits Mark Twain and Samuel Butler for the philosophical idea that 'it's a pity that the best part of life came at the beginning and the worst part at the end'.

This film version of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button did not retain any of the cogitative ideas presented in the book when a man ages backwards. So when watching, there is no deep thought-provoking concepts explored, and nothing to engage you in a philosophical exploration of life. I'm guessing that the only thing of value is supposed to be that part of the film has Brad Pitt looking not attractive. That is as far as Hollywood can take a good book.

Clearly the film does have high production values and they may have done a lot of good things, but they lost their right to be judged fairly as a film once they bought the rights to Fitzgerald's story. Now nobody will even have a chance to see this great story brought to visual life, and that is a travesty.

Please go to your local public library and borrow a copy of "Tales of the Jazz Age", you will be able to read the short story and get so much more out of it than the film and in less time and money.

Inception: Movie Review

Merges style with substance.

"Inception" is what you get when a filmmaker knows how to merge style with substance. Christopher Nolan has crafted a story (not an original one, but that's OK) that takes slightly abstract ideas and places it in a reality you can almost grasp, and then tells it with little complexity. It's a movie for all the masses - and that's where Nolan's genius comes in.		2010 Directed by: Christopher Nolan Screenplay by: Christopher Nolan Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio
He gives us characters, many of them in fact, and all performed expertly by the stellar cast. The dreams all have their own architecture which is visually stunning. And no it's not redundant to say again that he managed to merge style with substance. "Inception" is filled with special effects, action running all over the place and loud dramatic scores. Remember this is Nolan with a big budget. But it's also just a straight-forward story with characters and romance - it does star Leonardo DiCaprio after all.

Recommended:

Mr. Nobody (2009) - One man's search for the truth about himself over multiple possible lives.

Pretty Bird: Movie Review

Not much of a story but great characters.

"Pretty Bird" is about entrepeneuring a 'rocket belt', which is a real invention. It centers on Curtis Prentiss (Billy Crudup) who at one point in the film says "It's not just a rocket belt, it's an attitude." That says exactly what this film is, it's not about a rocket belt, it's about the attitude of its characters.		2008 (with 2010 DVD release) Directed by: Paul Schneider Screenplay by: Paul Schneider Starring: Billy Crudup, Paul Giamatti
Opening and closing with Billy Crudup's Curtis, he brings together Rick (Paul Giamatti) and Kenny (David Hornsby) as partners in his rocket belt innovation company. It's not about what they do, but who they are. They are all deeply troubled men. The characteristics that we see in Crudup's and Giamatti's characters completely drive this film; they are flawed and we can almost put our finger on all of their insecurities and needs but there is more ticking beneath the surface. Without sounding like a love song to Billy Crudup, I have rarely seen a character brought to life the way Curtis was. In one word, phenomenal. In three words, breathtaking, heartbreaking, pioneering. Unfortunately for all of its brilliant character work, the film stumbled with its story line. At times it was a little slow moving and as it neared the finish line it started meandering in other directions. It does seem pretty disjointed but it also just wanted to build up its characters even more. Listed as a dark comedy, that is probably accurate. A very intelligent film with its humour, and its many dramatic elements makes it seem dark. Kristen Wiig, as usual for her, comes away with one of the most memorable, funny scenes in the movie. Its ending can seem unsatisfying, but don't see "Pretty Bird" for its story line, see it for its characters, its smart humour, and Billy Crudup in the role of a lifetime.