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EW’s Benjamin Button review

Posted by Ryan Adams On December - 24 - 2008

In her A- review, Lisa Schwarzbaum says Benjamin Button is “an extravagantly ambitious movie that’s easy to admire but a challenge to love.”

A different director might have emphasized sentimentality in the manner of a Robin Williams weepy with a message: We’re all going to die, so love while you get a chance! Instead, Fincher’s innate astringency — his hardness, even, which he has put to such varied effect over the years in Fight Club, Seven, and Zodiac — becomes exactly the kind of tonic needed to balance the sweet/tart proportions of so audacious a cinematic project.

Here, Lisa puts her finger on the button.

At any moment in this singular Hollywood spectacle, two marvels predominate, one technical and the other…Bradical. The movie has been in the works for years, pored over by Fincher like a favorite fairytale from his childhood. But only now has computer-driven wizardry matured enough to meet the story’s challenges so unobtrusively. Likewise, Pitt, a comely actor, is no longer the golden surprise he was 18 years ago in Thelma & Louise. What he is, though, is a phenomenon of heightened celebrity. And that rarified status, combined with good grooming and exquisite digital effects care, produces the exact force field of fame needed to take our breath away in that first moment on screen when, rid of gray hair, Benjamin is bathed in light that honors the movie-star beauty Pitt is. Was. Is.

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13 Responses for "EW’s Benjamin Button review"

  1. Ryan Adams December 24th, 2008 at 2:20 am 1

    “Here, Lisa puts her finger on the button.”

    Didn’t mean for that to sound like a euphemism.

  2. Paul Outlaw December 24th, 2008 at 2:33 am 2

    Fight Club: the first time I didn’t laugh at Brad Pitt for the wrong reasons. Benjamin Button: the first time I saw his work and thought: “Bravo.”

  3. Zed & No Noughts December 24th, 2008 at 11:42 am 3

    What a load of verbose cobblers. If that’s the kind of nonsense spouted by Lisa at EW then it’s pretty evident that dear ol’ Lise is preaching to the choir & BB hasn’t a chance with middle America.

    Edited to add; & now I see Ebert’s given it two & a half stars. Oh, dearie me! Poor Sash, poor Ryan – just not working out for you is it? First Revolurtionary Road gets mixed reviews, now Button.

    LoL, as they say.

  4. luke December 24th, 2008 at 11:46 am 4

    12 monkeys,seven,fight club,babel,snatch,jesse james,burn after reading,benjamin button = pitt great actor

  5. luke December 24th, 2008 at 11:48 am 5

    kalifornia! bad movie , great pitt

  6. Page December 24th, 2008 at 11:52 am 6

    pitt is a very versatile actor,is fantastic as Jesse James and Chad, 2 different roles,is fantastic tyler durden and richerd (babel).

  7. Ryan Adams December 24th, 2008 at 12:28 pm 7

    Your opinion matters so much to me, Zed, I’m shocked to realize I forgot what movies you think are worthy of a BP nom this year. So I did a quick search for “Zed” and reminded myself:

    “When Changeling is nominated expect the usual hypocritical gasps of astonishment from the blogosphere”
    “I wasn’t aware any credible reviewers had given GT a negative review.”

    Other than your Cialis hard-on for all things Clint, I can’t find any evidence that you really like movies that much. Changeling and GT are the only two you’ve had anything good to say about all season. Every other comment you make has been to knock movies many of the rest of us love.

    Still sticking with your prediction that Changeling and GT will both be nominated for BP?

  8. AJ December 24th, 2008 at 1:11 pm 8

    A challenge to love? As in not many #1 spots? All of a sudden I have the feeling that the final five will include wall-e, The Dark Knight, and Slumdog Millionaire. Button and Milk may be left off…

  9. Wall-E December 24th, 2008 at 2:45 pm 9

    You know her top ten list is out, as well as Owen Glieberman’s (sp?), you guys should post it.

  10. Paul Outlaw December 24th, 2008 at 2:52 pm 10

    Was posted here right after it was published, Wall-E.

    http://www.awardsdaily.com/?p=5007

  11. Gentle Benj December 24th, 2008 at 2:54 pm 11

    BALEETED!

  12. Wall-E December 24th, 2008 at 2:58 pm 12

    Ah. I see, guess I missed it. Thanks.

  13. Sam December 25th, 2008 at 12:46 pm 13

    I don’t get the Brad love. I think his acting is bad.


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  • Contender Tracker

    Best Picture
    Up in the Air
    Nine
    The Hurt Locker
    An Education
    Precious: Based on the Novel
    Push by Sapphire

    A Serious Man
    Inglourious Basterds
    Up

    Julie & Julia
    Star Trek
    District 9
    Bright Star
    Where the Wild Things Are
    A Single Man

    Best Actor
    Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
    Colin Firth, A Single Man
    George Clooney, Up in the Air
    Matt Damon, The Informant!
    Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker
    Viggo Mortensen, The Road
    Ben Foster, The Messenger
    Michael Stuhlbarg, A Serious Man
    Michael Sheen, The Damned United

    Best Actress
    Gabby Sidibe, Precious
    Carey Mulligan, An Education
    Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia
    Abbie Cornish, Bright Star
    Helen Mirren, The Last Station
    Michelle Monaghan, Trucker

    Best Supporting Actor
    Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds
    Alfred Molina, An Education
    Stanley Tucci, Julie & Julia
    Peter Sarsgaard, An Education
    Robert Duvall, Crazy Heart
    Peter Capaldi, In the Loop
    Zach Galifianakis, The Hangover
    Anthony Mackie, The Hurt Locker
    Brian Geraghty, The Hurt Locker

    Best Supporting Actress
    Mo'Nique,Precious
    Anna Kendrick,Up in the Air
    Maggie Gyllenhaal, Crazy Heart
    Julianne Moore, A Single Man
    Melanie Laurent, Inglourious Basterds
    Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
    Samantha Morton, The Messenger
    Emma Thompson, An Education
    Cara Seymour, An Education

    Best Director
    Jason Reitman, Up in the Air
    Lee Daniels, Precious
    Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
    Lone Scherfig, An Education
    Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds
    Joel and Ethan Coen, A Serious Man
    Neill Blomkamp, District 9
    Spike Jonze, Where the Wild Things Are
    Tom Ford, A Single Man
    Jane Campion, Bright Star

    Best Original Screenplay
    Mark Boal, The Hurt Locker
    Joel and Ethan Coen, A Serious Man
    Jane Campion, Bright Star
    Quentin Tarantino,Inglourious Basterds
    Michael Haneke,White Ribbon
    Bob Peterson, Pete Docter,Up
    Scott Neustadter, Michael H. Weber, 500 Days of Summer

    Best Adapted Screenplay
    Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner, Up in the Air
    Nick Hornby, An Education
    Spike Jonze, Dave Eggars, Where the Wild Things Are
    Peter Morgan, The Damned United
    Geoffrey Fletcher, Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
    Scott Burns, The Informant!
    Tom Ford, A Single Man

    Best Editing

    Chris Innis, Bob Murawski, The Hurt Locker
    Sally Menke, Inglourious Basterds
    Dana E. Glauberman,, Up in the Air
    Joel and Ethan Coen,, A Serious Man

    Best Cinematography
    Greig Fraser,Bright Star
    Robert Richardson,Inglourious Basterds
    Roger Deakins, A Serious Man
    Christian Berger, White Ribbon
    Bruno Delbonnel,Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
    Barry Ackroyd, The Hurt Locker

    Best Art Direction

    Where the Wild Things Are
    Julie & Julia
    Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
    Bright Star
    Inglourious Basterds
    White Ribbon
    District 9
    A Serious Man

    Best Sound Mixing

    Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
    District 9
    Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
    The Hurt Locker
    Star Trek

    Best Sound Editing

    District 9
    Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
    Star Trek
    Up

    Best Costume Design
    Janet Patterson, Bright Star
    Jany Temime,Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
    Anna B. Sheppard,Inglourious Basterds
    Mary Zophre, A Serious Man
    Colleen Atwood, Public Enemies
    Consolata Boyle,Cheri

    Best Original Score
    Carter Burwell, Karen O,Where the Wild Things Are
    Carter Burwell,A Serious Man
    Michael Giacchino,Up
    Alexandre Desplat, Cheri
    Elliot Goldenthal, Public Enemies

    Best Foreign Language Film (submissions)

    Letters from Father Jacob, Finland
    White Wedding, South Africa
    A Prophet, France
    Dawson, Isla 10, Chile
    Nobody to Watch Over Me, Japan
    Prince of Tears, Hong Kong
    No puedo vivir sin ti, Taiwan
    Kelin, Kazakhstan
    Mother, Korea
    The White Ribbon, Germany
    Silent Army, The Netherlands


    Best Documentary Feature

    The Beaches of Agnes
    Burma VJ
    The Cove
    Every Little Step
    Facing Ali
    Food, Inc.
    Garbage Dreams
    Living in Emergency
    The Most Dangerous Man in America
    Mugabe and the White African
    Sergio
    Soundtrack for a Revolution
    Under Our Skin
    Valentino
    Which Way Home


    Best Animated Feature
    Up
    The Princess and the Frog
    Coraline
    The Fantastic Mr. Fox
    A Christmas Carol
    Mary and Max
    Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
    Ponyo


    Best Visual Effects
    Star Trek
    District 9
    A Christmas Carol
    Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
    Transformers


    Best Makeup

    Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
    District 9

    Best Song

    Best Live Action Short

    Best Animated Short

    Best Documentary Short

    China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province
    The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner
    The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant
    Lt. Watada
    Music by Prudence
    Rabbit a la Berlin
    Tell Them Anything You Want: A Portrait of Maurice Sendak
    Woman Rebel

  • Ampas Breakdown

    Actors-1,222
    Producers-462
    Executives-436
    Sound-411
    Writers-388
    Art Directors-373
    Directors-375
    Public Relations-370
    Members at Large-254
    Shorts/Feature Ani-335
    Visual Effects-272
    Music-233
    Editors-227
    Cinematographers-197
    Documentary-145
    Makeup-115
    Total Voting Members -approx 6,000
  • Tuesday, December 1, 2009: Official Screen Credits forms due

    Monday, December 28, 2009: Nominations ballots mailed

    Saturday, January 23, 2010: Nominations polls close 5 p.m. PT

    Tuesday, February 2, 2010: Nominations announced 5:30 a.m. PT, Samuel Goldwyn Theater

    Wednesday, February 10, 2010: Final ballots mailed

    Monday, February 15, 2010: Nominees Luncheon

    Saturday, February 20, 2010: Scientific and Technical Achievement Awards presentation

    Tuesday, March 2, 2010: Final polls close 5 p.m. PT

    Sunday, March 7, 2010: 82nd Annual Academy Awards presentation