DVD Review: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button [Blu-ray]: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Elias Koteas, Julia Ormond, Phyllis Somerville, Tilda Swinton, Robert Towers, Jason Flemyng, Lance E. Nichols, Ed Metzger, Taraji P. Henson, Mahershalalhashbaz Ali, Peter D. Badalamenti, Elle Fanning, Rampai Mohadi, Madisen Beaty, Lois Hall, Claudio Miranda, Alexandre Desplat: Movies & TV

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DVD Review: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button [Blu-ray]: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Elias Koteas, Julia Ormond, Phyllis Somerville, Tilda Swinton, Robert Towers, Jason Flemyng, Lance E. Nichols, Ed Metzger, Taraji P. Henson, Mahershalalhashbaz Ali, Peter D. Badalamenti, Elle Fanning, Rampai Mohadi, Madisen Beaty, Lois Hall, Claudio Miranda, Alexandre Desplat: Movies & TVDVD Review:  The Curious Case of Benjamin Button [Blu ray]: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Elias Koteas, Julia Ormond, Phyllis Somerville, Tilda Swinton, Robert Towers, Jason Flemyng, Lance E. Nichols, Ed Metzger, Taraji P. Henson, Mahershalalhashbaz Ali, Peter D. Badalamenti, Elle Fanning, Rampai Mohadi, Madisen Beaty, Lois Hall, Claudio Miranda, Alexandre Desplat: Movies & TV 2009551936194677801

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The technical dazzle of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a truly astonishing thing to behold: this story of a man who ages backwards requires Brad Pitt to begin life as a tiny elderly man, then blossom into middle age, and finally, wisely, become young. How director David Fincher–with makeup artists, special-effects wizards, and body doubles–achieves this is one of the main sources of fascination in the early reels of the movie. The premise is loosely borrowed from an F. Scott Fitzgerald story (and bears an even stronger resemblance to Andrew Sean Greer’s novel The Confessions of Max Tivoli), with young/old Benjamin growing up in New Orleans, meeting the girl of his dreams (Cate Blanchett), and sharing a few blissful years with her until their different aging agendas send them in opposite directions. The love story takes over the second half of the picture, as Eric Roth’s script begins to resemble his work on Forrest Gump. This is too bad, because Benjamin’s early life is a wonderfully picaresque journey, especially a set of midnight liaisons with a Russian lady (Tilda Swinton) in an atmospheric hotel. Fincher observes all this with an entomologist’s eye, cool and exacting, which keeps the material from getting all gooey. Still, the Hurricane Katrina framing story feels put-on, and the movie lets Benjamin slide offscreen during its later stages–curious indeed.–Robert Horton

Stills from The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Click for larger image)

DVD Review:  The Curious Case of Benjamin Button [Blu ray]: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Elias Koteas, Julia Ormond, Phyllis Somerville, Tilda Swinton, Robert Towers, Jason Flemyng, Lance E. Nichols, Ed Metzger, Taraji P. Henson, Mahershalalhashbaz Ali, Peter D. Badalamenti, Elle Fanning, Rampai Mohadi, Madisen Beaty, Lois Hall, Claudio Miranda, Alexandre Desplat: Movies & TV 20095519361851577801

DVD Review:  The Curious Case of Benjamin Button [Blu ray]: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Elias Koteas, Julia Ormond, Phyllis Somerville, Tilda Swinton, Robert Towers, Jason Flemyng, Lance E. Nichols, Ed Metzger, Taraji P. Henson, Mahershalalhashbaz Ali, Peter D. Badalamenti, Elle Fanning, Rampai Mohadi, Madisen Beaty, Lois Hall, Claudio Miranda, Alexandre Desplat: Movies & TV
DVD Review:  The Curious Case of Benjamin Button [Blu ray]: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Elias Koteas, Julia Ormond, Phyllis Somerville, Tilda Swinton, Robert Towers, Jason Flemyng, Lance E. Nichols, Ed Metzger, Taraji P. Henson, Mahershalalhashbaz Ali, Peter D. Badalamenti, Elle Fanning, Rampai Mohadi, Madisen Beaty, Lois Hall, Claudio Miranda, Alexandre Desplat: Movies & TV 20095519361860977803

DVD Review:  The Curious Case of Benjamin Button [Blu ray]: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Elias Koteas, Julia Ormond, Phyllis Somerville, Tilda Swinton, Robert Towers, Jason Flemyng, Lance E. Nichols, Ed Metzger, Taraji P. Henson, Mahershalalhashbaz Ali, Peter D. Badalamenti, Elle Fanning, Rampai Mohadi, Madisen Beaty, Lois Hall, Claudio Miranda, Alexandre Desplat: Movies & TV 20095519361870377804

DVD Review:  The Curious Case of Benjamin Button [Blu ray]: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Elias Koteas, Julia Ormond, Phyllis Somerville, Tilda Swinton, Robert Towers, Jason Flemyng, Lance E. Nichols, Ed Metzger, Taraji P. Henson, Mahershalalhashbaz Ali, Peter D. Badalamenti, Elle Fanning, Rampai Mohadi, Madisen Beaty, Lois Hall, Claudio Miranda, Alexandre Desplat: Movies & TV 20095519361875077805
DVD Review:  The Curious Case of Benjamin Button [Blu ray]: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Elias Koteas, Julia Ormond, Phyllis Somerville, Tilda Swinton, Robert Towers, Jason Flemyng, Lance E. Nichols, Ed Metzger, Taraji P. Henson, Mahershalalhashbaz Ali, Peter D. Badalamenti, Elle Fanning, Rampai Mohadi, Madisen Beaty, Lois Hall, Claudio Miranda, Alexandre Desplat: Movies & TV 20095519361879677806

DVD Review:  The Curious Case of Benjamin Button [Blu ray]: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Elias Koteas, Julia Ormond, Phyllis Somerville, Tilda Swinton, Robert Towers, Jason Flemyng, Lance E. Nichols, Ed Metzger, Taraji P. Henson, Mahershalalhashbaz Ali, Peter D. Badalamenti, Elle Fanning, Rampai Mohadi, Madisen Beaty, Lois Hall, Claudio Miranda, Alexandre Desplat: Movies & TV 20095519361885977807

DVD Review:  The Curious Case of Benjamin Button [Blu ray]: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Elias Koteas, Julia Ormond, Phyllis Somerville, Tilda Swinton, Robert Towers, Jason Flemyng, Lance E. Nichols, Ed Metzger, Taraji P. Henson, Mahershalalhashbaz Ali, Peter D. Badalamenti, Elle Fanning, Rampai Mohadi, Madisen Beaty, Lois Hall, Claudio Miranda, Alexandre Desplat: Movies & TV 20095519361890677808
DVD Review:  The Curious Case of Benjamin Button [Blu ray]: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Elias Koteas, Julia Ormond, Phyllis Somerville, Tilda Swinton, Robert Towers, Jason Flemyng, Lance E. Nichols, Ed Metzger, Taraji P. Henson, Mahershalalhashbaz Ali, Peter D. Badalamenti, Elle Fanning, Rampai Mohadi, Madisen Beaty, Lois Hall, Claudio Miranda, Alexandre Desplat: Movies & TV 20095519361895377809

A gorgeous, but depressing drama. Mild Spoilers,

By Val “LOTRMatrixHPLostFreak”DVD Review:  The Curious Case of Benjamin Button [Blu ray]: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Elias Koteas, Julia Ormond, Phyllis Somerville, Tilda Swinton, Robert Towers, Jason Flemyng, Lance E. Nichols, Ed Metzger, Taraji P. Henson, Mahershalalhashbaz Ali, Peter D. Badalamenti, Elle Fanning, Rampai Mohadi, Madisen Beaty, Lois Hall, Claudio Miranda, Alexandre Desplat: Movies & TV 200955193619077801 (RI) -

  

This review is from: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Two-Disc Special Edition) (DVD)

The Curious Case of Benjamim Button is by no means a feel-good movie. In fact upon watching it, I felt depressed even the next day just thinking about it. People may confuse this for a love story but to me the film clearly symbolizes death. The love aspect is certainly present, though it is not the center of attention here.

Brad Pitt stars as Benjamin Button, a man who essentially ages backwards. When he is born, his own father attempts to drown him before a sudden change of heart has him leaving the swaddled and very whithered newborn upon the steps of an elderly home. There he is found by Queenie, played to motherly perfection by Taraji P. Henson. She sees past the deformity and oddity and loves him immediately.

Instead of dying, as a doctor predicted, Benjamin actually begins to age backwards. He appears as a very old man and slowly grows younger, but only in body. His mind seems to function as a typical human’s mind. He learns, and dreams and experiences. This basically sets up the magnificent story and from then on, you are taken from country to country, from one decade, to another and it is just superb to witness.

The acting is fantastic all around. Brad Pitt does an outstanding job, portraying both the old Benjamin as well as his younger counterpart. Cate Blanchett as his childhood friend/love interest is also a joy to watch. She can do no wrong, she is simply stunning. For such a short part, Tilda Swinton surely makes the most of it. Her tale and part with Benjamin in Russia is just stunning. There is also the talented Julia Ormond, who has a bigger part to play in the tale than we may realise at first.

The most impressive aspect of the film is the flawless visual effects. Just flawless. You have never seen aging/deaging done like this. There is a scene, towards the end, with Benjamin and Daisy (Blanchett) that had my jaw dropping. It was like looking back in time. I can’t describe how utterly impressed I was. The cinematography, the sad musical score, the costumes, just every little minute detail is just so impressive and authentic.

I have heard grumbles from people who compare it to Forrest Gump. What? How? There should not be any comparing the two films-or the two characters. Gump was a slow and mostly ignorant person who fell into unbelievable situations. Button clearly chooses his own paths, though it may not seem it, at the beginning. It irritates me how someone can make such a comparison.

This is a long film, nearly three hours, though with the plot and subject matter, it makes sense and really, it is such a beautiful film, you hardly notice the passing of time. Like I mentioned, it will leave you feeling blue but that does not diminish from the fact this is one of the better newer films out there now, and one that people will remember in the future.

A masterpiece comes to blu-ray in the form of Benjamin Button,

By Porfie Medina “Porfie Jr. Medina”DVD Review:  The Curious Case of Benjamin Button [Blu ray]: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Elias Koteas, Julia Ormond, Phyllis Somerville, Tilda Swinton, Robert Towers, Jason Flemyng, Lance E. Nichols, Ed Metzger, Taraji P. Henson, Mahershalalhashbaz Ali, Peter D. Badalamenti, Elle Fanning, Rampai Mohadi, Madisen Beaty, Lois Hall, Claudio Miranda, Alexandre Desplat: Movies & TV 200955193619077801 (Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA) -
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)
  

  

The two-disc blu-ray Criterion set will feature 1080p AVC video accompanied by a 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack. The movie looks absolutly stunning in full 1080p and this criterion release does not dissapoint. You also get a wealth of bonus materials. David Fincher directs this amazing film and like his previous works Fight Club and Seven the film truly is a work of art! The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is absolutely brilliant! The movie is about a man named Benjamin who is born old and gets younger as time passes. Before Benjamin’s real mother dies in childbirth, she asks her husband to take care of their son. After taking a look at the child the father leaves him on the steps of a New Orleans old folks home only to return years later. Queenie is a woman who runs the old folks home, and finds Benjamin on the steps. She decides even though Benjamin is an ugly ducking that he is still a child of God, and decides to raise him. Benjamin meets the love of his life Daisy, but at the time she is just a child while he is an old man. Ben starts getting younger as time passes, and many years later he Re-connects with Daisy. After a few bad encounters they finally meet at just the right time and fall in love. This is a beautiful film that just makes you appreciate life in a whole new way.

Extras include:

* The Curious Birth of Benjamin Button–four-part documentary:

o Academy Award-nominated director David Fincher introduces the surprising beginnings of what would become an epic masterpiece including the casting of Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, the decision to change the location of the story to New Orleans and more.

o Follow the production from day one including the challenges of aging Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, designing over five thousand costumes and creating the animatronic baby.

o Explore the incredible visual effects techniques created specifically for the film that allowed Brad Pitt to play the title character at virtually every age. Also includes a visit to the scoring stage with composer Alexandre Desplat.

o Walk the red carpet at the film’s premiere in New Orleans, with final thoughts from cast and crew.

* Audio Commentary by director David Fincher

Brilliant Adaptation of Fitzgerald’s Short Story,

By Terence AllenDVD Review:  The Curious Case of Benjamin Button [Blu ray]: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Elias Koteas, Julia Ormond, Phyllis Somerville, Tilda Swinton, Robert Towers, Jason Flemyng, Lance E. Nichols, Ed Metzger, Taraji P. Henson, Mahershalalhashbaz Ali, Peter D. Badalamenti, Elle Fanning, Rampai Mohadi, Madisen Beaty, Lois Hall, Claudio Miranda, Alexandre Desplat: Movies & TV 200955193619077801 (Atlanta, GA USA) -
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)
  

  

This review is from: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (DVD)

“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” is a wonderfully staged fantasy based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s fantasy about a boy born old and aging younger instead of older. The story could obviously be off-putting and distracting, but everyone involved does such a magnificent job of telling this story that it is not hard to accept this as fact, and following the story as it shows Benjamin growing younger and falling in love with a young girl named Daisy.

Benjamin and Daisy’s story and the balance of Benjamin’s life impart so many valuable life lessons that it is hard to recount them all - the idea that life brings many hardships and the best we can do is doing the best we can with what we’re given, making the most of every moment because life is fleeting and unpredictable, find the joy and happinessin life and hold on to it dearly, and many other lessons.

“Benjamin Button” gives Brad Pitt the chance to shine in the title role, and he makes the most of it. He is ably assisted by Cate Blanchett as Daisy, Taraji P. Henson as Benjamin’s adoptive mother, Tilda Swinton as another love of Benjamin’s, and many others. This film is marvelous and a hopeful fable for all of us.
Search The Curious Case of Benjamin Button [Blu-ray]: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Elias Koteas, Julia Ormond, Phyllis Somerville, Tilda Swinton, Robert Towers, Jason Flemyng, Lance E. Nichols, Ed Metzger, Taraji P. Henson, Mahershalalhashbaz Ali, Peter D. Badalamenti, Elle Fanning, Rampai Mohadi, Madisen Beaty, Lois Hall, Claudio Miranda, Alexandre Desplat: Movies & TV from AmAzon

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DVD Review:  The Curious Case of Benjamin Button [Blu ray]: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Elias Koteas, Julia Ormond, Phyllis Somerville, Tilda Swinton, Robert Towers, Jason Flemyng, Lance E. Nichols, Ed Metzger, Taraji P. Henson, Mahershalalhashbaz Ali, Peter D. Badalamenti, Elle Fanning, Rampai Mohadi, Madisen Beaty, Lois Hall, Claudio Miranda, Alexandre Desplat: Movies & TV sharebookmarx

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