Movie #141 - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Warner Bros Pictures
2008 - Rated PG-13 - 2 hr 46 min
Director: David Fincher
Starring: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Tilda Swinton, Taraji P. Henson

This movie took a lot of crap from the critics and the general populace, who said it was like Forrest Gump with a gimmick.  I get that. The whole "Here's some guy's entire life trajectory for your viewing pleasure, with a few chance encounters and tall tales thrown in for kicks."  Yeah, there are similar elements.

But when I first saw this movie, before I heard any of that, I really enjoyed it.  Sure, it's excessively long, but the concept (loosely based on an F. Scott Fitzgerald short story, the irony there is hillarious) is a fun one to base a love story around.  And despite what others say, I think Brad Pitt does just fine as Benjamin Button.  Cate Blanchett is, as always, a work of art and wholly untouchable by critical derision. They're not a pair I'd have imagined together, but onscreen you forget that she played an elf queen and he played that gas station attendant in Thelma & Louise.  You believe they love each other and that makes this movie work.

Okay, the whole baby as an old man and old man reverse ages to become a baby (and yes, that baby dying scene gets me everytime) is bizarre. If you spend too much time thinking about it, you'll just get pissed off.  Accept it for a fancy, Hollywood-ized sci-fi concept blended with an impossible romance and you'll get it.  That's all it is, aside from being really, really long...

Movie #130 - Constantine

Constantine
Warner Bros
2005 - Rated R - 2 hr 1 min
Director: Francis Lawrence
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Rachel Weisz, Shia LeBeouf, Djimon Hounson, Gavin Rossdale, Tilda Swinton

Here's a creepy movie for you!  Religious thrillers scare the bejeebers out of me, usually, but Keanu Reeves seems to neutralize the scary parts of this movie.  That's actually a good thing, not me making fun of him, because it allows me to really enjoy watching this from beginning to end.

What a twisted premise. What an interesting cast.  I don't know what it is that I like so much about Constantine, but I could watch this almost anytime.  Maybe it's Rachel Weisz. Maybe it's Tilda Swinton's amazing, androgynous Angel Gabriel. But this heaven vs. hell, with humans caught in the middle, movie is dark, dreary, and awesome.

Movie #110 - The Chronicles of Narnia

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, & The Wardrobe
Walt Disney Pictures
2005 - Rated PG - 2 hr 23 min
Director: Andrew Adamson
Starring: Tilda Swinton, James McAvoy, Jim Broadbent, Liam Neeson

I was pretty psyched when I found out they were making a live-action version of this book - one of my personal favorite stories as a kid. I looooooooooooved the animated version so, of course, I had to see this in the theater and then own it on DVD. Of course.

Fortunately for me, this is a worthy incarnation of the classic tale.  In my opinion, the kids are perfectly cast, plus Liam Neeson as Asland rocks. And Tilda Swinton is my girl. So creepy too.

Anyhow, there's nothing earth-shatteringly wonderful about this movie. It's pretty to look at and it follows the book, more or less.  The casting is great, the sets and costumes and effects impressive.  There's not much to say but that it's a great big-budget production of a time-honored classic.  And just to be totally cheesy, I'll also add that the "entire family will love it."  That's probably true.