Really Quick

"Taken" (****) has the potential to be an action classic. I loved very close to every second of the film. Liam Neeson is utterly revelatory.

Review coming soon, I hope.

The Sundance Film Festival: Films I'm Watching For

This year's Sundance Film Festival is one with films to be excited about truly. These are just a few of the films I'm looking forward to seeing in wide release.

Black Dynamite: Much positive feedback has been given to this spoof/throwback to the blaxploitation films of the 1970s. I simply can't wait for it, as it supposedly uses the Technicolor filming process, which hasn't been use since the 80s.

500 Days of Summer: A festival favorite right now. Supposedly, it encompasses falling in love perfectly. Can't ask for anything better than a great love story. The film releases on July 24. Count me in.

Don't Let Me Drown: The title seems to point to an episode of "Degrassi." But the film, about two teenagers also falling in love and living in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, seems to be garnering a lot of praise.

Mystery Team: Supposedly the first non-SNL sketch movie ever made (okay, that's wrong; "Napoleon Dynamite" is), but it's getting good feedback. That's good for, uh, a sketch comedy.

The Greatest: Supposedly a heartbreaking story about a family that has lost a son. Stars Pierce Brosnan.

The Clone Returns: A Japanese indie sci-fi film about a guy who dies and is resurrected as a clone of someone else. Should be a mind-bender.

Five Minutes of Heaven: Liam Neeson stars in this small political film set in Ireland. Sounds like a great indie.

Taking Chance: A horridly titled movie about a guy escorting his fallen ex-Marine friend's body back to his hometown.

Mary and Max: A claymation film about a girl who befriends an obese Jewish priest with Asperger's Syndrome. Having Asperger's myself, I can't wait to see how it is portrayed.

I'm looking forward to everything else, but these will be highlights for me. I only wish I was actually there at Sundance. Count each of these as one's I will actually see either in theaters or when they arrive on DVD. All of them.

Oscars 2009: Final Predictions

The nominations come out on Thursday (which, ironically, is also the one-year anniversary of Heath Ledger's death). So, without further adieu, my final predictions for the Oscars 2009.

Best Picture:

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Frost/Nixon
Milk
Slumdog Millionaire

Best Director:

Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon
Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight
Gus Van Sant, Milk

Best Actor:

Clint Eastwood, Gran Torino
Richard Jenkins, The Visitor
Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn, Milk
Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler

Best Actress:

Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie, Changeling
Melissa Leo, Frozen River
Meryl Streep, Doubt
Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road

Best Supporting Actor:

Josh Brolin, Milk
Robert Downey Jr., Tropic Thunder
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt
Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Dev Patel, Slumdog Millionaire

Supporting Actress:

Amy Adams, Doubt
Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis, Doubt
Taraji P. Henson, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Kate Winslet, The Reader

Adapted Screenplay:

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Doubt
Frost/Nixon
Slumdog Millionaire

Original Screenplay:

Happy-Go-Lucky
Milk
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
WALL-E
The Wrestler

Best Animated Feature Film:

Kung Fu Panda
WALL-E
Waltz with Bashir

Best Art Direction:

Changeling
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Milk
Revolutionary Road

Best Cinematography:

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Defiance
Revolutionary Road
Slumdog Millionaire

Best Costume Design:

Changeling
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Duchess
The Other Boleyn Girl
Revolutionary Road

Best Film Editing:

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Frost/Nixon
Milk
Slumdog Millionaire

Best Makeup:

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Synecdoche, New York
Tropic Thunder

Best Original Score:

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Defiance
Revolutionary Road
Slumdog Millionaire
WALL-E

Best Original Song:

"Down to Earth," WALL-E
"I Thought I'd Lost You," Bolt
"The Wrestler," The Wrestler

Best Sound Editing:

The Dark Knight
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Iron Man
Quantum of Solace
WALL-E

Best Sound Mixing:

The Dark Knight
Iron Man
Quantum of Solace
Slumdog Millionaire
WALL-E

Best Visual Effects:

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Iron Man

Official Golden Globes Predictions 2009

The title says it all. I've got predictions for everything in the film categories. Don't have the energy to get into TV nominations. Mainly because the TV I watch is limited to stuff on DVD or DVR.

Best Motion Picture--Drama:


The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Frost/Nixon

The Reader

Revolutionary Road

Slumdog Millionaire


Winner: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Reason: It's been getting raves since two months before its release. And it's widely regarded as the best of the year, except by Ebert. Reason enough.

Runner-up: Slumdog Millionaire

Reason: It's a terrific, life-affirming masterpiece, but I think it'll be second-string to the man getting younger than everybody else.


Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture--Drama:

Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married

Angelina Jolie, Changeling

Kristin Scott-Thomas, I've Loved You So Long

Meryl Streep, Doubt
Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road

Winner: Anne Hathaway.
Reason: Her performance has been called "electrifying" and "revelatory." Anything else?


Runner-up: Angelina Jolie.
Reason: Hers was a praised performance (for a good reason), but the mixed buzz for the film will hurt her chances.


Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture--Drama:


Leonardo DiCaprio, Revolutionary Road
Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon

Sean Penn, Milk

Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler



Winner: Mickey Rourke.
Reason: Does the phrase "one of the great performances in cinema" do anything for you? Rourke has long been forgotten since he messed up his career, and this is his great comeback. Have yet to see the film, but his scenes are startlingly brilliant.


Runner-up: Sean Penn.
Reason: He's said to embody the character--as he always does--with life and energy. Playing a gay activist has its share of stereotypes to overcome and he apparently does it. Can't wait to rent this.


Best Motion Picture--Musical/Comedy:

Burn after Reading
Happy-Go-Lucky
In Bruges
Mamma Mia!

Vicky Cristina Barcelona



Winner: Happy-Go-Lucky.
Reason: Been veritably fell for head over heels because of its brilliant human comedy. I wouldn't know. I just think it's the little movie that will.


Runner-Up: Mamma Mia!
Reason: One word: musical. One name: Meryl Streep. Does there need to be anything else? Maybe critical decisiveness, which is strangely divided, while mostly everyone loved the un-nominated Tropic Thunder. Huh.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture--Musical/Comedy:


Rebecca Hall, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky
Frances McDormand, Burn after Reading
Meryl Streep, Mamma Mia!
Emma Thompson, Last Chance Harvey


Winner: Sally Hawkins.
Reason: She's like a comedic Anne Hathaway here. Apparently revelatory, unbeatable performance.


Runner-up: Meryl Streep.
Reason: Would be weird, her winning for this and not Doubt. But she might, if Hawkins doesn't pull through. Which, you know, she will.


Best Supporting Actor:


Tom Cruise, Tropic Thunder
Robert Downey Jr., Tropic Thunder
Ralph Fiennes, The Duchess
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt
Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight


Winner: Heath Ledger.
Reason: Is one necessary? He's already won 23/25 awards. This will be #24. I think the whole country will be flabbergasted if someone else wins. But that's not even a possibility. Pretty much every critic of the film--even its detractors, with the exception of Armond White--has called Ledger's Joker is the best performance of the year, no matter how strong Sean Penn's Harvey Milk, Mickey Rourke's Randy "The Ram" Robinson, and Robert Downey Jr.'s Kirk Lazarus were. Most of the same critics think he could have even beaten out Penn and Rourke in Best Actor. It's the highest praise. Plus, the original Joker himself, Jack Nicholson, called the performance better than his own. That's praise that the HFPA (and the AMPAS) can't ignore.


Runner-up: Robert Downey Jr.
Reason: That's a funny word. This is only if things fall through. Which, as I've pointed out, is not gonna happen. Still, Downey's performance has been called the best purely comedic/satiric one of the last few years (up there with Sacha Baron Cohen's Borat, they say). So, it's one to fall back on.


Best Supporting Actress:


Amy Adams, Doubt
Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis, Doubt
Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler
Kate Winslet, The Reader

Winner: Penelope Cruz.
Reason: Her role as the bisexual wife of Javier Bardem's character has been praised. She's practically the Heath Ledger of ladies this year.

Runner-up: Viola Davis.
Reason: Her infamous ten-minute sequence as the mother of a possible abuse victim has pretty much been the talk of the town for five weeks.

Best Animated Feature Film:

Bolt
Kung Fu Panda
WALL-E

Winner: WALL-E.
Reason: Um...

Runner-up: Bolt
It opened to very big buzz. Plus, it's one brilliant film, much better than Kung Fu Panda, and and that's the critical consensus.

Best Foreign-Language Film:

The Baader-Meinhof Complex
Everlasting Moments
Gomorrah
I've Loved You So Long
Waltz with Bashir

Winner: Gomorrah.
Reason: While I'm surprised that Let the Right One In is not in this group, as it probably would've won being the critical darling it is, this film has been called the finest mob drama since GoodFellas. If that doesn't lead to a win, nothing will.

Runner-up: I've Loved You So Long.
Reason: Kristin Scott-Thomas' unequivocally praised performance might lead it to a win, but I don't see that happening, really.

Best Director--Motion Picture:

Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Stephen Daldry, The Reader
David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon
Sam Mendes, Revolutionary Road

Winner: David Fincher.
Reason: He's created a masterpiece here, and if it wins picture, he'll win.

Runner-up: Danny Boyle.
Reason: Really the only one to fall back on if Fincher doesn't win. Of course, his film is a masterpiece, as well. So...

Best Screenplay--Motion Picture:

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Doubt
Frost/Nixon
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire

Winner: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
Reason: Eric Roth's epic is on par with Forrest Gump, which won in 1994. The same will happen to this. That, and it's a brilliant screenplay.

Runner-up: Slumdog Millionaire.
Reason: It's really these two giants vying for the majors this year. But Button is more the critical darling, so it'll sweep everything with Slumdog not far behind.

Best Original Score--Motion Picture:

Changeling
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Defiance
Frost/Nixon
Slumdog Millionaire

Winner: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
Reason: It's indelible, haunting, and lends to the proceedings. Also, it's widely regarded the finest scoring work of the year.

Runner-up: Slumdog Millionaire.
Reason: I think it's going to be forgotten in this category. Though perhaps Button's score is slower and more evocative, I actually prefer A.R. Rahman's glossier and more upbeat rock music score, and its innovative use of the music from "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" It's severely overlooked and I think most people will believe it to be a wild card. Me? I think it's a dark horse.

Best Original Song--Motion Picture:

"Down to Earth," WALL-E
"Gran Torino," Gran Torino
"I Thought I'd Lost You," Bolt
"Once in a Lifetime," Cadillac Records
"The Wrestler," The Wrestler

Winner: "The Wrestler."
Reason: It's a haunting song, the best movie-produced song of the year, and a masterpiece all its own.

Runner-up: "Down to Earth."
Reason: It's a catchy tune. And it's from Pixar. And it's by Peter Gabriel.

And that's it. Follow me tomorrow evening on my Twitter page, as I have live updates from the show.

2008 in Review: The Best Films of the Year, and Runners-Up

Let’s skip the introductions, shall we? Those were already given.

First, I give the list of films that I cherished but nevertheless didn’t quite make on my top ten. I still love them, though. Case in point: I gave all of these four stars.

In alphabetical order:

Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who!

“Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who!” was one of the more magical experiences I had at the movies this year. A wondrously animated, side-splittingly hilarious adventure, the film was every bit what I wanted from the previous live-action efforts. It was simply magical, telling a thrillingly original story with a kid-friendly but useful message.

The Happening

Probably the most misunderstood gem of the collection, “The Happening” was, for me, nerve-rattling, uneasy, and inherently terrifying. Is it a B-movie underneath? Yes, but an effective one at that. Probably this year’s best American horror film along with “Quarantine,” the movie was so effective for its slap-in-the-face of an environmental message, which surprisingly doesn’t talk down to the viewer.

Hellboy II: The Golden Army

In my original review, I called it a “visionary movie masterpiece.” And so it is. The direction by Spanish master Guillermo del Toro makes this film even better than the already-brilliant 2004 original. Filled with nightmarish special effects and art design that seems straight out of del Toro’s great “Pan’s Labyrinth,” “Hellboy II: The Golden Army” was one of the best films of the summer.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

One of the best Friday night actioners of the year (nothing can beat “Wanted”), this was a splendidly made, visually exciting entry into a historic cinematic saga. No, it ultimately doesn’t live up to the other films, but does that matter? It’s still wonderfully witty and very much a pulp entertainment at its heart. The ending has been eviscerated as being awful and desperate, but I really loved its inevitability (think about it).

Iron Man

The second best superhero film of the year, as well as the third best graphic novel/comic book adaptation, was “Iron Man,”, which succeeded in doing three things: being a terrific piece of popcorn entertainment that nicely jumpstarted the summer season, a hilarious and indirect dissection of Robert Downey Jr.’s career, and a surprisingly effective personal drama regarding fate and calling. In a summer movie? You bet.

Marley & Me

A film I saw in the last two days of the year, “Marley & Me” was simply terrific. My fear walking into it, compounded by unimpressive trailers, was that the filmmakers would turn it into a slapstick comedy and forget the dramatic bits of the incredible source material. This was somewhat confirmed in my mind by the PG rating of the film, an adaptation of a very PG-13 book. Then I found out who the director was: David Frankel. He had directed “The Devil Wears Prada” to great success a couple years ago. Everything was okay for me. And it is. This is a film on the level of “My Dog Skip” or “Benji! Off the Leash.” Simply great stuff.

Penelope

The film I championed back in February to…nothing. Like, no one saw this movie, and I hate that. “Penelope” was one of the best romances this year and the most overlooked film of the year. With a resonant and intelligent screenplay and effective performances by James McAvoy and Christina Ricci, “Penelope” was a near-classic of its kind and on par with last year’s “Bridge to Terabithia” as one of the great family films of recent years.

Quarantine

Maybe I was overreaching when I told a group of friends that this film was better than “Cloverfield.” After watching the latter film another time after viewing this one, ultimately that film beats it. But that doesn’t take away from the impact of “Quarantine,” a terrifying surprise this year that I once was dreading horribly. Gosh, it’s amazing how things turn out to be, isn’t it?

Son of Rambow

Along with “Penelope” as one of the forgotten masterworks this year, “Son of Rambow” was a magical bit of filmic nostalgia, following a group of kids in the ‘80s as they venture to make the film of their dreams. What’s brilliant about the experience is its intelligence in film production and the pains of childhood and adolescence, brought across with equal amounts of humor and pathos.

Wanted

One of the best and most innovative summer blockbusters in a couple of years, “Wanted” was breathlessly exciting, so much so that after two viewings, it ended up good enough to be on this list. In a summer chock-full of innovation (sue me, it was), “Wanted” was one of the most satisfying experiences. Saying that, after the awful marketing campaign, feels weird, but it’s true.

#10

Young@Heart

Directed by Stephen Walker

Heartbreaking and hilarious in equal measure, “Young@Heart” was a transcendent and fascinating documentary depicting the performances of the Young@Heart Chorus at an old folks’ home. The songs they choose are timeless, the performances they give equal that of the original performers. It’s heartbreaking because of the imminent and unstoppable mortality. At the same time, we want none of these people to go away.

In a year where any given week had a sequel or remake of some sort, “Young@Heart” was blessedly one of the most satisfying movie experiences in it. This is a must-see for any family with older and more discerning children, or younger children who have seen films dealing with similar topics, as far back as “My Girl” and as recent as “Bridge to Terabithia." This film is their equal.

#9

Cloverfield

Directed by Matt Reeves

The only film out of the spring months of January through April (“Young@Heart” was close, releasing wide in early May), “Cloverfield” was the year’s first masterpiece, a tight, taut, and frankly terrifying bit of sci-fi/horror chamber drama. Depicting a giant monster attacking Manhattan and leaving rubble in its wake inadvertently reminiscent of the World Trade Center towers, the film was a breath of fresh, innovative air in a spring season sadly bereft of such a gem otherwise.

The final moments, however, elevate this past its well-worn genre conventions into something deeper. The thoughtful rumination on humanity and its imminent end was something I didn’t expect. Shot like a home video would be, with overlapping chaos and dialogue, the film was more of a surprise than anything else. I expected something freakin’ awesome, not awesomely freaky.

#8

Bolt

Directed by Byron Howard and Chris Williams

Immediately entering my list of fifteen great animated films, “Bolt” is what happens when you make a perfectly good animated film without the help of Pixar. A brilliantly rendered story of companionship, friendship, and unconditional love that sounds predictable at the outset but ends up being quite the opposite, “Bolt” was the biggest surprise of the year. It was a surprise for two reasons: (1) I never thought it would make this list, and (2) it was surprisingly as entertaining and funny as anything by Pixar, with the exception of possibly “WALL-E.”

What makes “Bolt” so effective? I’m not sure. But I am sure that it laughs in the face of convention and goes in directions unseen at the outset. The ending is predictable in theory but not in execution, and the result is a highly rewarding and entertaining animated experience. I really loved everything about “Bolt,” and I think everyone should see it.

#7

Changeling

Directed by Clint Eastwood

“Changeling” would be the most resonant experience of the year, if it were not for my top two films. Angelina Jolie gives one of the best performances of the year as a woman who has lost her child and doesn’t know what to do with that information. Receiving opposition from the very place she should be receiving help—the exceedingly corrupt Los Angeles Police Department—she finally takes matters in her own hands, only then to be thrown in an asylum.

Suspenseful, slow-moving, and brilliant for its first half, “Changeling” unfolds into something even more inherently tragic by the end. When Jolie’s Christine Collins is faced the life-altering truth about her son’s whereabouts, we see something in her eyes that transcends performance; she slowly has become the woman she’s playing. We, too, see her plight as our own, and the fear of losing something precious to you is more evident than ever. One quick question: where the heck do critics get the idea it was overstuffed yet overlong? Does that make sense to anyone?

#6

Tropic Thunder

Directed by Ben Stiller

After writing those two paragraphs about “Changeling,” it seems a tad unfair to award a comedy directed by Ben Stiller a higher placement. Let me make this clear: the five following films are far removed from the other five, in much the same way “In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale” was infinitely worse than the other four films on that list. “Tropic Thunder,” however, is an undeniably resonant piece of cinematic art in a completely different way than the other four films. This is a comedy and a satire all in one, both equally effective.

By eviscerating every aspect of Hollywood that has been eviscerated before, Ben Stiller captured lightning in a bottle, advancing the comedy genre where other films this year and last did not, and simultaneously making a highly effective epic war spoof. That’s a lot for someone to handle, but Stiller did it, and we love him for it. Oh, and did I mention the Oscar-worthy, hilariously ribald performances by Robert Downey Jr. and Tom Cruise?

#5

The Fall

Directed by Tarsem

Probably the most indescribable and most original work on this list, “The Fall” is a bizarre masterpiece that one cannot deny. The story falls by the wayside completely, but still manages to charm the viewer with how deep it goes. The visuals are the point here, and they are top-notch. The cinematography is beautiful, the art direction is stunning, and the costume design is certainly intricate.

The inherent self-pretentiousness is almost endearing, as in the first scene that shows a movie being made and one of the people involved being injured. The entire scene is filmed in slow motion, for no reason. That is the tone of the whole film. No, it doesn’t have a “point,” but maybe that is its point. The audience is never sure, and director Tarsem has achieved what he set out to do. Isn’t that all that matters?

#4

Slumdog Millionaire

Directed by Danny Boyle

For a film celebrating life, the R-rating given to “Slumdog Millionaire” entirely unwarranted. Case in point: I sat next to a group of high-schoolers who could have been watching something more mainstream, like “Bedtime Stories” or “Yes Man” or “Marley & Me” but weren’t; they were really involved in the intricate plotting of this film, its refreshingly vital filmmaking. That was encouraging to see: a group of high-school-aged kids seeing a film being highly honored by most critics’ circles.

This is a fantastic film, endlessly romantic, undeniably fascinating, and unspeakably touching. It ranks as the second-best live-action romance of the year and the third-best in general. In Dev Patel’s debut performance, director Danny Boyle has found an incredible talent; Patel is intense and never-wavering in his portrayal of someone who’s life has gone so wrong, it’s a wonder he keeps going and finds joy in it. Scored with music by British pop star M.I.A., “Slumdog Millionaire” is continuously inventive from its opening sequence that flashes back and forth, to scenes scored to the theme music of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?,” to the energetic and uplifting Bollywood number over the end credits.

#3

WALL-E

Directed by Andrew Stanton

Like my previous three choices, “WALL-E” is romantic, beautiful, and side-splittingly romantic, an unforgettable animated experience. So good is it that it transcends the genre and becomes something more. It is, in that respect, the greatest of its kind ever made, so far removed from every other of its kind (except perhaps “Beauty and the Beast”) that it almost isn’t animated at all. It’s the epitome of the phrase “genre masterpiece.”

“WALL-E” works as three different movies in one. The first is a hilarious and lovable slapstick comedy portraying WALL-E’s endearing escapades cleaning up the Earth’s mountains of trash. The second is one of cinema’s most affecting romances, written with such clarity and emotion as to make “WALL-E and Eve” synonymous with “Forrest and Jenny.” The third is a scarily realistic sci-fi film, containing haunting visions of a Manhattan made out of trash and a civilization completely unaware of their turmoil in space. This is not a masterpiece; it’s three masterpieces in one.

#2

The Dark Knight

Directed by Christopher Nolan

The very best film of the year 2008 until its last week, “The Dark Knight” ranks as the best superhero film ever made, but that’s almost damning praise on something that transcends the superhero genre and becomes a crime drama on the level of “The Godfather” or “GoodFellas;” its similarity with both of those films goes beyond just a sentence though. Bruce Wayne is a lot like Henry Hill from Scorsese’s classic in that he’s unsure whether what he’s doing makes him happy or not; their turmoil becomes the films’ central theme of calling and destiny, two things that have never truly been covered in either genre. Harvey Dent is much like Michael Corleone from Coppola’s masterpiece in that he’s a good man driven to do very bad things because he feels he has no other choice; both men’s wives have died by the end of both films, and there’s gonna be hell to pay.

Heath Ledger’s Joker is a lot like Hannibal Lecter, nice and outgoing at the outset and then demented and psychopathic within five minutes of meeting him. Joker is not without a moral compass—he may be an “agent of chaos,” but he follows his own rules, as well—but it’s skewed to the point of ridiculousness and is in the opposite direction. That’s how Ledger plays him, demonic but reserved; he rarely, if ever, has angry outbursts, opting to laugh instead of get angry, and that makes him all the scarier. What Nolan did, unapologetically and groundbreakingly, was to deconstruct the genre that “The Dark Knight” is undoubtedly in—that of superhero—and rebuild it into something new and more revitalizing. Let’s just hope the inevitable third picture, reportedly starring Johnny Depp as The Riddler and Rachel Weisz as Catwoman, can live up to this entry. If so, and if any of the possible fourth and fifth films live up as well, we are looking at one of the great American sagas of all time.

#1

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Directed by David Fincher

A film that has haunted me ever since seeing it last Friday evening, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” is a historic achievement in cinema, a film so impressive that it rivals “Minority Report” as the best film of the decade and ultimately beats out “The Dark Knight” for best of 2008. Beautiful and intimate, yet epic and unforgettable, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” is finally a thoughtful rumination on mortality and death. These are touchy themes, not always used in cinema but refreshing when they are. Made with refreshing originality and unequivocal beauty by David Fincher, the film was simply a masterpiece for every minute of its 159.

I want to take a moment to address the comparisons to screenwriter Eric Roth’s previous opus “Forrest Gump.” They are completely warranted. Like the previous film, it is about a character who makes his way through the world in a way that is different in most ways but the same in others. Benjamin Button is a lot like us, since we probably don’t know how this world works either. Is it so different, in the long run, to live backward than to live with a physical or learning disability or even in a minority or of a different sexual orientation? Life is a box of chocolates, according to Roth’s creation. Every chocolate’s different, right? If nothing else, both films are epic pleas for one-of-a-kind personalities.