The Curious Movie

Spoiler alert!  If you have not seen Benjamin Button do not read.  Or do.  Yeah, just read anyway.

From a director who cranked out such greats as Se7en, Fight Club, and Panic Room I would have to say Benjamin Button was his poor attempt at making a few great ideas materialize into nothing.  I like think to of David Fincher as a rouge saint in the movie business.  He (claims) to be anti-commercial, anti-happy endings, anti- many things.  He's outspoken of his likes and dislikes and knows exactly what he wants.  I believe he is the best at what he does in bringing gritty schizophrenic characters to life.  He's a trademark director.  You know it's a Fincher film by watching any 5 minute segment of any of his movies.  All his films have to do with an undercurrent of impending doom that carries the audience in bewilderment of how our hero will eventually fail.  This is what the audience expects.  This is what we want to see.  We like seeing doomed heroes through the mind of Mr. Fincher but NOT in a love story.  Well, maybe he liked this contrast.  Maybe this was a challenge for him.  I suppose you can't blame the story on him but I wonder how many of his choices involved leaving so many things unjustified for us.  At the end of the movie I found myself trying desperately to tether together how in the world this relationship could possibly work.  Not just the whole age thing but how or what attracted this little girl to a little old man?  Wait, she just knew he wasn't as old as he seemed so now she loves him forever.  Or maybe since the audience knew they were supposed to fall in love by watching the trailer, this process of early courtship was overlooked.  Or maybe it's just me.  But was I supposed to be happy when Button finally died?  Was he supposed to be a revival of a Forrest Gump that doesn't absorb information?  Or was Brad Pitt just supposed to be that bad?  I don't even want to get started on Mr. Bland Pitt.  Or maybe it was just the rock that was Cate that gave such a solid performance that it made Brad Pitt seem like a horny hummingbird in need of a nut bust.  Ah, I see, that's the symbolism behind the hummingbird in the film!  

(Breathe)

Honestly, I don't know why I'm so outraged.  It wasn't THAT bad.  I just think that David Fincher should adapt a modern day version of the Iliad instead because love stories are not his strong suit.  The film itself was shot beautifully.  He has a gift of visual story-telling as some scenes are simply breathtaking to watch.  My only problem was it's inconsistency in its flow due to the "what-the-heck" factor.  Nevertheless, the entire supporting cast was impressive along with the make-up.

Blah blah blahhh... sorry.. was a rant more than anything.  

I know I'm not capable of putting out anything better so consider this is me yelling behind soundproof windows.

::reading::    The Road- Cormac McCarthy

::listening::  My Girls- Animal Collective