Best Movie of the Year? The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Ehh...this wasn't one of my best, but here ya go:
(FYI: this was written before the Academy Awards, hence the "can it win best picture?")

In 1921, F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote a short story about a simple man. The man had normal wants, normal needs, and normal dreams. His name was Benjamin Button, and he was born with the appearance and health of an eighty year old man. Now in 2008, Eric Roth (who wrote the screenplay for Forrest Gump) resurrected the story and brought it to the big screen. Directed by David Fincher, the film incorporates many different elements throughout the twentieth century. Time spans from the end of the First World War to the terrible tragedy of Hurricane Katrina. It tells the story of Benjamin, his “curious” life, and all the people whom he loved along the way.
It all starts with a dying old woman in a New Orleans Hospital, Daisy Fuller (Cate Blanchett), requesting her daughter to read her a diary of a man named Benjamin Button (Brad Pitt). Born the day World War I ended, his mother died while giving birth to him while his father abandoned him on the steps of a nursing home. He is discovered by Queenie, an African-American attendant at the nursing home. She takes him in and treats him as her own child as Benjamin grows in the body of a feeble old man. He befriends young Daisy, the granddaughter of one of the nursing home patients. The two bond and develop a strong friendship. The story then travels through the various ups and downs of his life as he discovers that he ages backwards. He joins the navy during World War II and has an affair with a lonely woman named Elizabeth (Tilda Swinton). He returns home and discovers that Daisy is now a famous ballerina, swept up in her youth. The story continues throughout the various decades. It narrates the love between Daisy and Benjamin and how, eventually, Benjamin becomes and young child and Daisy becomes an old woman.
The movie was written by the same guy who did Forrest Gump, so you have to expect there to be certain similarities. The classic “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get” phrase is amended to “You never know what’s comin’ for ya”. The plots are alike in that both are about men who lead extraordinary lives and narrate their life story. Both intertwine historical elements to the plot. Personally I prefer Forrest Gump to Benjamin Button, mainly because Forrest Gump has a bit more of a humorous tone. Despite this, I thought Benjamin Button was one of the best movies of the year.
I actually saw this movie twice. Once I went with my family, the other time I went with a friend. I had no problem seeing it despite that it’s almost three hours long. Two pieces of advice: 1) Get something to eat and drink, trust me, you’ll need it. 2) …Go to the bathroom before the movie. This is one of those “Oh my God, I really have to go but I don’t wanna miss a scene!” type movies, so make a trip to the restroom prior to sitting down.
I can honestly say that I really enjoyed Benjamin Button. Brad Pitt (Ocean’s Thirteen, Babel) delivers an amazing performance (a bit different than Mr. and Mrs. Smith of course) as Benjamin. My only critique would be that his personality was a bit bland. That…and I can’t stop picturing him in Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Cate Blanchett (Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, The Aviator) plays the emotional and spontaneous Daisy. She does a phenomenal job because Daisy’s character can be a bit flighty and immature at time. Not only the acting was great but so was the makeup job! They made both Benjamin and Daisy look either extremely old or strong and youthful. They also were able to put Brad Pitt’s face onto the body of a little old man using CGI technology.
I found the movie, which greatly averted from the original plotline of the short story, to be greatly moving and captivating. The story is very unique and I think that the idea of a man aging backwards is quite interesting. It’s a long film but I didn’t get bored once throughout the duration of the movie. I always find the history intertwined with it really interesting as well, such as when the Beatles are playing on TV when Benjamin and Daisy are settling in their new home. Did I think the movie was amazing? No, but I do think it was a great movie that will be remembered for decades to come.
So what does the public have to say about it? A freshman at my high school greatly enjoyed the movie. “Although I favor the F. Scott Fitzgerald short story better, I really liked the movie. I love how they incorporated Hurricane Katrina into the plot as well. Great story and great acting.” He gave the movie three out of four stars. Another freshman also praised the film highly. “The movie was really good, even though it wasn’t like the short story. It was really long, but definitely worth it,” she said. Another student who attends a school in the city gave her feedback on the movie. “I thought the movie was great! It was a little long but it keeps you captivated the entire time. The events that transpire are quite interesting. I recommend reading the short story if you liked the movie.” The movie was also highly acclaimed by newspapers and movie reviewers. One writer of The New York Observer stated that the movie was “brilliantly directed and acted.”
Okay so my final breakdown on the movie: three out of four stars. This isn’t the greatest movie you’ll ever see, but it really is a tear jerker that grabs your attention from the very first minutes you start watching. Nominated for five Golden Globe awards and soon to be nominated for a few Oscars, you should get around to seeing this movie to form your own opinion on it. Can it win best picture? I think there’s a definite possibility it just might.