Resurrecting the Movies thread...

[Aloysius J. Gleek]

Hi there, cinemaphiles.  I just saw The Curious Case of Benjamin Button tonight.  **Not too spoilerish***

All I can say is WOW!  I haven't read any reviews, just the bare outline of the story.  It's an epic that holds your attention through the whole 2 3/4 hours--no mean feat.  I was on the verge of tears practically throughout the entire film.  Spanning eight decades, with not a cliche in sight.  Effective use of spare music, unintrusive voice-overs, interesting lighting add to the delight.  Not to mention special effects that are used for human purposes, not just to blow up stuff.  Hurray!

Brad Pitt is phenomenal.  You can't take your eyes off him.  I don't think I've ever appreciated him as an actor before this.  He makes great use of his eyes and his voice, in this case a quiet, slow, gentle New Orleans lilt.  He is gradually transformed from a little old man, eventually to Brad Pitt, to Brad Pitt of twenty years ago!

I always expect great things from Cate Blanchett and she doesn't disappoint.  From waif to Martha Graham-esque and beyond, she is a wonder. 

I didn't really have much of a sense of David Fincher, except for Zodiac, which I didn't much like.  I see he has directed TV commercials, and music videos (Madonna) primarily, along with Fight Club and Se7en, neither of which had I seen. 

Based on short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the film was apparently heavily adapted by Eric Roth.  Perhaps Brokeback Mountain started a trend of adapting good short stories into films. 

I expect this film will haunt me for some time. 

To celebrate, my film partner and I went to dinner at the venerable Boston establishment, Locke Ober, for dinner (lobster bisque and crispy sweetbreads, yum) and a Sazerac, featured in the film.

*****

Sazerac, considered the first truly American cocktail, pre-Civil War, born in New Orleans:

coat an old fashioned glass with Pernod and discard
muddle sugar cube and bitters, add ice and bourbon (or whiskey, or rye)
strain into Pernod-coated glass
garnish with lemon peel

Aromatic and gorgeous!

Cheers to Benjamin Button!

Paul--I saw it today (Saturday), at the Ziegfeld. Wow indeed.

My film partner is a New York-based New Orleanian (named Charbonnet--how New Orleanian can you get??) whose mother lived in a (real) house just across from the (fictional) nursing home. (And Mr. Button, Sr.'s beautiful house on Esplanade was just up the block from a real house belonging to a friend of mine.)

I mention this to only say in passing that Mr. Charbonnet said that Brad Pitt's New Orleanian accent was perfect. Not 'good,' not 'very good,' but perfect.

And Mr. Pitt's perfect accent is mentioned in passing simply because we were in awe of his acting talent. Flawless is the word on that score.

I would not say the film itself is flawless. There were points at which I could cavil,  and there were omissions. But I thought the movie was brilliant. What a love letter to the City of New Orleans itself. And the mood, the pacing--amazingly beautiful. Have you ever seen a movie with this length--and you had wished it had been a half-hour, even an hour longer??

I thought Cate Blanchett was fine. Surprisingly, I thought Tilda Swinton even better. I have always thought her very good, but 'cold'--but in the Russian hotel episode, Ms. Swinton was warm, touching, vulnerable.

Anyway. Yes, I will be seeing Benjamin Button again.

Beautiful film. Beautiful man. (I mean it--what a beautiful man. )

Go. Now.

[serious crayons]

My film partner is a New York-based New Orleanian (named Charbonnet--how New Orleanian can you get??) whose mother lived in a (real) house just across from the (fictional) nursing home. (And Mr. Button, Sr.'s beautiful house on Esplanade was just up the block from a real house belonging to a friend of mine.)

Well, that does it. I didn't realize how New Orleanian it was. I will see it for sure.

In fact, if not for about five wrong turns on a too-tight schedule and very icy roads and two only semi-committed kids and a new remote-control helicopter that hadn't yet been tried out and a couple of Netflix at home, I would have seen it tonight.

It was not to be. But I'll see it soon.

I mention this to only say in passing that Mr. Charbonnet said that Brad Pitt's New Orleanian accent was perfect. Not 'good,' not 'very good,' but perfect.

And Mr. Pitt's perfect accent is mentioned in passing, simply because we were in awe of his acting talent. Flawless is the word on that score.

Good. I have seen way too many terrible New Orleans accents. For example, Kevin Costner in JFK (shudder).


Actually, what we wound up watching at home was not the Netflix movies but the on-demand Fred Claus. I can't recommend it to anyone but a sappily sentimental Vince Vaughn fan with very low standards ... but apparently around Christmastime that's me, so I enjoyed it.

[Aloysius J. Gleek]

Well, that does it. I didn't realize how New Orleanian it was. I will see it for sure.

Katherine, I must say--it is not only a fictional New Orleans, it is a fantasy. A fable. The train station and the clock at the beginning of the film , for example, is a fantasy. And, as I said, there are cavils. (And kids?--oh, dear. I don't think so. They'll rebel--or go to sleep.) But overall--gorgeous.

[Meryl]

I would not say the film itself is flawless. There were points at which I could cavil,  and there were omissions. But I thought the movie was brilliant. What a love letter to the City of New Orleans itself. And the mood, the pacing--amazingly beautiful. Have you ever seen a movie with this length--and you had wished it had been a half-hour, even an hour longer??

That sounds right up my alley.  Long movies with great art direction are like reading a good novel; you can get immersed in another world. "Barry Lyndon" is one of my favorites for that, also "The Last Emperor," "Doctor Zhivago," "Lawrence of Arabia," even "Dances with Wolves" and the "Lord of the Rings" movies.  Thanks for the reviews, John and Paul.

[southendmd]

So glad you liked it, John.  I loved Brad's voice; good to hear that it's authentic as well.  (That subtle "oy" for "er" was not overdone.)

I agree with you about Tilda Swinton--she reveals the warmth in British "cold". 

As for longish films I wish were longer, I can think of one 2 1/4 hour film....

[Ellemeno]

I love this thread and I love all of you.  From 'cavil' to 'remote-controlled helicopter' to, as I said, 'muddled,' I'm as happy as a clam reading all a youse.

Tilda Swinton was superb in Michael Clayton, where she played a bitch-cold corporate lawyer defending the environmental evil doers, but who secretly falls apart in bathroom stalls.  Incredible.

[serious crayons]

Tilda Swinton was superb in Michael Clayton, where she played a bitch-cold corporate lawyer defending the environmental evil doers, but who secretly falls apart in bathroom stalls.  Incredible.

I loved Michael Clayton so much that every time I see the title in the video store or on "on demand" or sumpn', I wish I could see it again for the first time.

It's not one of those movies I could watch 22 times (there's only one of those one of thoses), but I really enjoyed it twice.

[Aloysius J. Gleek]

Sad....

http://www.nydailynews.com/money/2008/12/26/2008-12-26_forrest_gump_eric_roth_screenwriter_sues.html

'Forrest Gump' (and 'Benjamin Button') screenwriter, Eric Roth,
sues over Madoff losses



BY SOO YOUN and OWEN MORITZ
DAILY NEWS WRITERS

Saturday, December 27th 2008, 1:21 AM

The writer of a string of Hollywood hits - including "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" - sued his investment manager Friday for losing a bundle in Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme.

Screenwriter Eric Roth claims his "trusted investment manager," Stanley Chais, "simply handed off" his money to Madoff while collecting "enormous fees."

When he learned of his "heavy" losses last week: Roth exclaimed: "I'm the biggest sucker who ever walked the face of the Earth. The tragedy is the people who lost their life savings and their dreams."

Madoff is accused of running a $50 billion Ponzi scheme on charities, Yeshivas and high-rollers around the world, including New York Mets owner Fred Wilpon.

In papers filed in Los Angeles, Roth - also authored the screen versions of "Forrest Gump"  and "The Horse Whisperer"  - claims he suffered "massive losses" at the hands of Chais.

Roth, listing himself as the trustee for Vanessa Productions Ltd. profit-sharing plan, charged Chais "funneled to Madoff the billions of dollars in investment capital that he needed to perpetuate his confessed Ponzi scheme."

Roth charges Chais ignored "red flags" from other investors and hedge fund managers, investment advisers and banks that had refused to invest with Madoff's firm, BMIS.

After a long slump, Roth just hit it big again as writer of "Benjamin Button,"  in which the lead character ages backward - from old age to youth.

He was nominated this week for a Golden Globe.

Chais failed to conduct "reasonable due diligence" of Madoff's investment practices and the failure to diversify investments constituted "gross negligence and an egregious breach of fiduciary duties," the suit says.

Roth is seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.

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[MaineWriter]

Hannah and I went and saw Benjamin Button and thought it was great. Happy, sad, an emotional roller-coaster. Good thing we had lots of napkins from the popcorn. Hannah got a little restless at the Russian interlude (Tilda Swinton part) but I think that was a little subtle for a 17 year old. She loved the rest of it though. I loved all of it.

I swear, at the latter part, they photoshopped the Thelma and Louise Brad Pitt into the movie. I haven't seen him looking that good or buff for years! LOL.

It is something to see two great movies in one weekend. I expect Slumdog Millionaire and Benjamin Button will both get best picture noms for the Oscars. Right now I am thinking I'd add Milk to the list, too. Sean Penn and Brad Pitt will also get Best Actor noms. And I think Cate Blanchett for best actress in this.

BUT HERE IS MY BIG QUIBBLE....

Did anyone else notice this? Daisy as a child had blue eyes (and Benjamin talked about them) and Daisy as an adult did, but the pre-teen/tween Daisy had brown eyes! Come on, people, we had the same damn problem in BBM! Don't they think people notice eye color (especially when characters talk about them!). Can't they use contacts or something?

Jeesh.

L

[MaineWriter]

Roger Ebert didn't like Benjamin Button and gave it only 2 1/2 stars. I found this final paragraph of his review interesting:

According to the oddsmakers at MovieCityNews, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" is third among the top five favorites for best picture. It may very well win. It expends Oscar-worthy talents on an off-putting gimmick. I can't imagine many people wanting to see the movie twice. There was another film this year that isn't in the "top five," or listed among the front-runners at all, and it's a profound consideration of the process of living and aging. That's Charlie Kaufman's "Synecdoche, New York." It will be viewed and valued decades from now. You mark my words.

(bolding mine).

L