Note: Heath Ledger won a Screen Actors' Guild Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: click here for more info
I saw this movie on Saturday night and genuinely enjoyed it. I do have to say that the highlight of the entire movie was the pure image of Brad Pitt during his 30s and 40s at the peak of his extraordinary handsomeness. (If you can look at that man and not believe that there's a brilliant God then you just are not looking hard enough.) Another aspect of this film that really stood out to me was the score. If you've ever been to New Orleans (and I have within the past month) then you know the feeling of magic in the air when you walk down the French Quarter. I mean it feels like you're on a movie set or in Disneyland or something. I actually saw the house where they filmed this movie, and walking down the street with all of those beautiful houses was like dreaming. My point being that this musical score captured that essence beautifully. I also appreciated that captured the moments preceding Hurricane Katrina and made you fall in love with the city and the people that have been destroyed as a result. Go Brad Pitt! (Another reason to love him is his heart for New Orleans.)
Obviously the premise of the movie, Benjamin Button aging backwards, is one that inspires a great story. One of the categories that this film was nominated for was Make-Up, and I can't imagine them losing to Hellboy II or The Dark Knight in that respect. However, I did feel that there wasn't enough depth put into the concept of aging in reverse. They never really explained how this could have happened, and the ending also wasn't entirely satisfying. I was also slightly disappointed by both Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett's performances although it was fun to watch the countless scenes somewhere in the middle where they were either about to have sex, were having sex, or just had sex. Taraji P. Henson as Benjamin's mother often managed to steal the screen even when she shared it with Brad. Not to mention that there were plenty of other little visual and comedic treats to enjoy in the movie.
vs.
Slumdog Millionaire: click here for more info
Between the two which are both up for Best Picture this year, I'm going to have to go with Slumdog. This screenplay was heart-wrenching in almost every way, evoking fear, distress, heartache, anger, and ecstasy in an altogether rush of a movie. I don't think you could give any one actor credit for doing their character more justice because the entire cast did exactly what they had to do wonderfully, which I'm sure is why they just won a SAG award for Best Ensemble in a Motion Picture. I also feel like the movie painted a clear picture of the kind of world to which many of us are rarely exposed and still managed to get us to sympathize as if we had all grown up "slumdogs." If you haven't seen it, go see it, and stick around for the credits which is one of my favorite parts of the whole thing. As far as the score goes, if you like M.I.A. you won't be disappointed.
1. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - 13
2. Slumdog Millionaire - 10
3. Milk - 8
4. The Dark Knight - 8
5. Wall-E - 6
6. Frost/Nixon - 5
7. The Reader - 5
8. Doubt - 5
9. Revolutionary Road - 3
10. Changeling - 3
11. The Wrestler - 2
12. Frozen River - 2
13. The Duchess - 2
14. Iron Man - 2
15. Wanted - 2
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