A 'Curious Case' of An Uneven Script

by Brett Parker

I can name you countless movies that start off strong then fall apart at the seams. I’m having a hard time, though, thinking of movies like The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, which starts off very shaky then builds momentum towards wonderful cinema. As I watched the film’s first half, I asked: why the hell is this being considered for the Best Picture Oscar? By the time the second half rolled around, I thought: oh, THAT’S why! Like Benjamin Button’s life, things grow way more interesting towards the end.

The film is an elaborate fantasy fable centered on the remarkable life of Benjamin Button (Brad Pitt), a man who is born with the body of an elderly man and appears to age younger all the way to infancy when he is supposed to be in his elderly years. Abandoned by his father at birth, Benjamin is raised in a nursing home where his adolescent years resemble that of a geriatric’s life. As his body grows younger, Benjamin decides to go off into the world and experience life. His adventures include working on a New Orleans tugboat, having an affair with a British man’s wife (Tilda Swinton), and fighting naval battles in World War II. As the years progress, Benjamin goes from looking like an 80-year-old to that of a 50-year-old.

The plot begins to grow heart-wrenching once Benjamin sets his affections on Daisy (Cate Blanchett), a beautiful ballet dancer. Daisy was a childhood friend of Benjamin’s and has grown into his object of desire. Yet while Daisy is an embodiment of youth and energy, Benjamin’s middle-aged body holds him back from being the kind of man Daisy wants. It’s only when they both hit 40 that they could somewhat resemble a normal couple. Benjamin and Daisy grow deeply in love but wonder if they could truly have a healthy relationship. If Daisy is aging towards an elderly woman while Benjamin is heading for a toddler’s body, could they really create a strong family?

The first half of the film seems focused on peculiar aspects of Benjamin’s life yet strangely isn’t as focused on the details of Benjamin’s condition. We learn the everyday aspects of Benjamin’s nursing home life and witness his adventures on a tugboat, all while feeling shortchanged on what it feels like to be such a person with such a condition. To be fair, the earlier sections of the film fit in nicely with the overall plot and help to build Benjamin’s personality and views on mortality. I just don’t think an affair with an English woman or life on a tugboat is the cleverest way to develop Benjamin’s personality. The film is based on the brilliant short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, who knew how to paint an observant picture of a backwards-aging man in everyday society. Fitzgerald had stronger and deeper ideas for episodes in Benjamin’s life, including Benjamin looking like the oldest student in college, harboring guilt over looking older than his father, and having Benjamin’s son being embarrassed by the fact that his father turns out to look younger than him. These low-key observations in the short story told us many things we wished to know about Benjamin while we feel the earlier passages in the film are evading bigger issues at hand.

The film clocks in at just about three hours, so we feel a lot of the earlier scenes can go right in the garbage. Especially since we realize the real magic lies in the second half of the film, right when the grown-up Daisy enters the picture. The film’s central romance brings the deeper complexities of Benjamin’s life into the forefront, especially his yearnings and sadness. There’s a great scene where Benjamin attends a party with Daisy and her Ballet friends. They are all in their twenties yet Benjamin’s body is in his fifties. Everyone at the party is drinking, dancing, and living it up, while Benjamin feels too much like an old man to join in. The wounded look in Benjamin’s eyes speaks oceans. Indeed, it’s through the film’s observations of Benjamin and Daisy’s relationship in which we get the emotional answers we’ve been seeking all along.

A character like Benjamin Button seems like the perfect opportunity for an actor to go over-the-top with eccentricities, yet Brad Pitt wisely keeps his portrayal subtle and withdrawn. Benjamin may not be the most colorful character, but it makes sense the more you think about it that someone like him would probably be shy, reserved, and not wanting to draw attention. Pitt skillfully brings Benjamin to convincing life and I was even amused by how his youthful looks embody vintage Americana ala the young Robert Redford. Of course Cate Blanchett is wonderful as usual, hitting all the emotional bases and cinematically aging with grace (although I couldn’t understand a word she was saying during her modern-day hospital scenes. I expected Benjamin and Daisy’s romance to somewhat resemble a typical fairy tale romance and I was delighted to find out how flawed and human the filmmakers allow it to be. Daisy is more feisty and frustrated than we expect and Benjamin isn’t exactly a smooth charmer.

If I say that Brad Pitt convincingly plays a man who ages from 80 to his teens, then credit must also be given to the dazzling special effects that help accomplish this feat. Wonderful CGI and make-up effects are used to convey Benjamin’s physical transformations throughout the ages and I can’t remember the last time big-screen special effects were so breathtaking. I was truly marveled by the image of an elderly-looking Benjamin trying desperately to peak out a window or when Benjamin’s body arrives in its late-teens. Come to think of it, the whole movie itself is filled with marvelous images. Director David Fincher (Fight Club, Zodiac) has always been an imaginative storyteller, but he has reached new and supreme heights of creativity. He has crafted a film overflowing with brilliant creative moments, such as a blind man creating a backwards-moving clock, Benjamin engaged in a battle with a Nazi U-Boat, and a meticulous explanation of all the little things that caused Daisy to be involved in a car accident. Visually, this is truly a triumph for Fincher.

By creating a character who defies the natural flow of human existence, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button becomes a meditation on existence and its relationship to time. No matter who we are or what we are capable of, we are all slaves to time and cannot escape its inevitable flow, even if we are experiencing it backwards. All we can do is try our very best to enjoy our period of existence and soak up all the experience we can get. Yet with Benjamin Button, we ponder a thought that F. Scott Fitzgerald attributed to Mark Twain: it’s funny how we experience the best part of life at the beginning and the worst part at the end. What if they were reversed? This film allows us to judge if that would be for better or for worse.

I’ve praised so much about this film that I almost make it sound like a great movie, and it almost is. It just seriously needs a stronger first half that holds up against the rest of the film. As good as it is, this film still could’ve been more imaginative, focused, and tighter. Fitzgerald’s source material is proof of that. The author himself once said “there are no second acts in American lives.” It’s ironical then that the second act of an American life he helped create outshines the other ones.

What Would You Do With 'Seven Pounds'?

by Brett Parker

I had a professor in college who loved thought-provoking films. He worshipped films that pose big questions to an audience, revolve around moral dilemmas, and evokes thoughtful discussions afterwards. I think of this professor as I watch Seven Pounds, a film I think he would enjoy. The film slowly unravels to reveal a very complicated moral situation that will undoubtedly challenge moviegoers’ thoughts. This isn’t an easy-breezy melodrama but a wounded and heartbreaking tale of redemption that allows the viewer to sort through its blurred moralities.

Will Smith stars as Ben Thomas, a withdrawn and enigmatic IRS agent who appears to be on a mission of redemption. For the film’s first hour, we see Ben observing and interacting with various people, trying to figure out if they are each decent and genuine people. One thing all of these people have in common is that they have a physical handicap or a personal struggle in their lives that hold them back from complete happiness. It grows obvious that Ben wants to improve their lives with what appears to be an elaborate plan he obsesses over. Only as the film progresses do we realize how all the pieces fit and the enormity of Ben’s plan is realized.

It’s also obvious that Ben is a broken man who is unable to forgive himself for some sort of tragedy in his past. His friend Dan (Barry Pepper) tearfully agrees to help Ben with his mission although it’s obvious he is anguished by it. Ben’s Brother (Michael Ealy) tries desperately to re-enter his life, but Ben keeps a considerable distance, as if to spare him from more heartache. Ben’s best relationship in the film is with Emily (Rosaria Dawson), a sweet woman who suffers from a failing heart. They slowly grow a real affection for each other and we briefly glimpse Ben rediscovering feelings of warmth and happiness. But alas, Ben sticks to his elaborate plan with haunting results.

I know I’ve been extremely vague about the details of Ben’s plan, but so is the film. Ben’s motives are kept under tight wraps until the film’s final 15 minutes, although observant moviegoers will probably be able to figure things out rather quickly (I know I did). Considering what we eventually learn about Ben’s plan, it was probably best to hold all the details until the very end. There are some viewers who will probably object to the film’s motives and to have revealed them at the forefront would probably cause those viewers to reject the film before it even gets going. By prolonging the explanation, we get to know Ben and the people surrounding his mission very intimately. We come to greatly understand their needs and feelings. Even if we don’t agree with Ben’s plan in the end, we at least understand his need to have one.

Paul Newman once said that it’s more fun as an actor to play characters that are the complete opposite of yourself. Indeed, it’s always interesting to watch movie stars create characters that contrast differently with their public personas. Will Smith the person seems like one of the nicest and happiest movie stars alive. He always seems extremely generous, charismatic, and outgoing in interviews and appearances. So it’s rather curious and fascinating that he’s attracted to withdrawn and conflicted characters. Notice the characters he’s played lately in I Am Legend, Hancock, and now Seven Pounds: these are hardened and disillusioned men concealing deep wounds in a protective shell. Seething anger and crippling sadness lurk ever so closely to their surfaces, almost causing their nerves to collapse. That Smith can play such dark notes to perfection is rather astonishing.

Smith’s appeal is important to this material, for it lures us into this emotional journey and towards its complex conclusion. There are those who accuse this movie of being manipulative. Perhaps it is, but the film’s articulate plotting and heartfelt performances make it a competent and compelling drama in its own right. Besides, I like the way it evokes strong moral questions about redemption and justifying good. If one carries out the ultimate good deed by committing the ultimate sin, can it still be considered a justified redemption? We’re always quick to applaud heroes who make huge sacrifices for the ones they love, well what about when they do so for complete strangers? Would you do what Ben does if you had been through what he’d been through?

I wish the film had tighter pacing and arrived at its point a tad quicker, but these are only minor complaints. I’m very thankful that Seven Pounds isn’t just a cookie cutter melodrama out to please mass audiences but actually gives viewers complex ideas to think about long after the movie is over. It’s such a pleasure to watch Will Smith avoid typical Hollywood vehicles and challenge himself with haunted and heartbreaking roles. The film was directed Gabrielle Muccino, who worked with Smith before on The Pursuit of Happyness. That film packed an emotional punch that honestly made me cry. It’s some kind of miracle that Smith and Muccino pull off that feat again.

That 'Slumdog' Stole My Heart!

by Brett Parker

When was the last time a cinematic romance touched you? I’m talking really got to you? Twilight sure as hell didn’t achieve that, although millions of teen girls claim it did. We live in cynical times where most big-screen romances are bogged down by commercial phoniness. It’s beginning to seem like an innocent movie romance that can produce genuine affection, heartache, and inspiration is damn near impossible to create.

Well not anymore. Behold Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire, a tale of longing and true love that will sneak up on you and have your heart beating again for silver screen love. This is a rich film that can be called many things: an energetic adventure, a unique exploration of the mystic Indian landscape, a colorful tale straight out of Dickens, an underdog story, yet when all is said and done, it is ultimately the story of a love that refuses to die and is worth fighting for. It’s certainly worth watching; this romance penetrates the grinchy walls over our souls and hits us straight in the heart. This one’s the real deal.

The opening scene shows the film’s hero, Jamal (Dev Patal) being beaten by a giant police officer. Jamal is a contestant on the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? and is performing surprisingly great. He has answered every question correctly and is one question away from winning the entire contest. This raises suspicion from forces behind-the-scenes of the show. Jamal is a life-long poor citizen who is currently holding down a job as a tea boy for a cell phone company. Almost anyone can tell that Jamal is not the best-educated of people. How can this unsophisticated “Slumdog” possibly know every single answer of this contest? Surely, he must be cheating!

As it turns out, the questions he is being asked on the show ironically correspond to significant moments in Jamal’s hard and adventurous life. Forced to explain how he knew the answers to a Police Sergeant (Saurabh Shukla), Jamal recalls the story of his poverty-ridden life, which includes witnessing the death of his mother, pan-handling for a sinister hustler, and pretending to be a tour guide for the Taj Mahal. Both Jamal and his brother, Salim (Madhur Mittal), had to beg, fight, and hustle their way through the slums of India in order to survive. In his younger years, Jamal met and fell in love with Latika (Freida Pinto), another poor orphan who became a prostitute in order to survive. Jamal has always been in love with her and dreams of one day whisking her away to a safe and better life, although the cynical Latika fails to see how their social situations could ever allow this to happen. Yet Jamal keeps hope alive and even thinks his game show stint could help matters to his advantage.

Critics have likened to Slumdog Millionaire to classic stories such as Oliver Twist and Huckleberry Finn, and it truly is easy to spot the adventurous energy and colorful character strokes of those earlier works. Like those stories, the film is a grand canvas tale filled with fascinating episodes that help sculpt an enormously appealing story. It also helps that the Indian landscape is seen with great vividness. Students of films like City of God will recognize this style of filmmaking, yet the story is filled with such energy and heart that the film’s visuals feel anything but routine. Much credit is due to directors Danny Boyle and Loveleen Tandan in finding the right visual scheme to make this likeable story feel less convenient and cute than it probably is.

Danny Boyle is a director who can take seemingly familiar stories and make them surprisingly effective. His zombie film 28 Days Later is probably the scariest film I’ve ever seen and even commercial fare like The Beach is more unique and thoughtful than we’re used to. I admit my wall of cynicism was thrown up as I went to take in this film, yet Boyle’s love story was able to genuinely pull on my heart strings like no other film has for a very long time. I was so surprised by how touched I was. This is probably due to the strong performances from both Patal and Pinto as the yearning lovers. Their eyes are filled with such anguish and longing that we buy every inch of their love. Listen to Jamal’s reason for going on the game show or watch what happens when the final game show question is revealed to him. Boyle and his actors know how to make this material spring from the heart and hit yours.

I know I sound like quite the softie right now, but that’s how powerful Slumdog Millionaire is. You can walk into the theatre with an ice-covered prune in your chest and walk out with an uplifted and inspired heart. Even the film’s final Bollywood dance number will have you pumped with excitement. This is one optimistic experience that will rejuvenate anyone’s affections for India, filmmaking, and old-fashioned romance.

'Four Christmases': Zero Fun

by Brett Parker

I was just watching Swingers the other day. What a great comedy. It still holds Vince Vaughn’s best performance, one in which he creates the silly-charmer persona we would come to love him for in later pictures. You know what made Swingers so great? It was honest. In telling the story of young actors who enjoy a fun California nightlife, men everywhere found a film they could strongly relate to. We know these characters. We have friends just like Vaughn and Jon Favreau. We hung out at bars just like theirs. We tried to pick up women the same way they did. In great comedy lies great truth.

Four Christmases, the latest comedy from Vince Vaughn, suffers from favoring the opposite idea. It takes a seemingly relatable scenario-visiting family on the holidays-and takes it to such manic and bizarre extremes that it becomes the furthest thing from any recognizable reality. This wouldn’t be a problem if laughs were delivered, but this is one of the most dead-in-the-water comedies in recent memory. The film wants to be a hilarious spin on real-life holiday anxieties, but we’re not laughing and we’re not convinced.

The film stars Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon as Brad and Kate, a happy and loving couple who reject the idea of marriage and family. Both are children of divorce with dysfunctional families and are fearful of repeating the mistakes of their parents. Their indifference over their families has also caused them to skip out on Christmas year after year. They feed their families lies about going on global peace missions while sneaking off to exotic locales for Christmas vacation. However, their current escape plan goes awry when all the flights at their airport are cancelled due to fog. A local news station ropes them into a live interview on TV about their travel plans, allowing their families to realize that they are in fact home for the holiday. Seeing no way out, Brad and Kate decide to visit all of their parents in the same holiday.

Brad and Kate’s divorced parents, and each of their respective families, are a crazed showcase of dysfunctional people. There’s Brad’s father, Howard (Robert Duvall), a macho meanie who raised Brad’s brothers (Jon Favreau and Tim McGraw) into UFC Cage Fighters. There’s Kate’s mother, Marilyn (Mary Steenburgen), a sweet cougar with an obsession over a new age Pastor (Dwight Yoakam). Brad’s mother, Paula (Sissy Spacek), is eerily dating Brad’s childhood friend (Patrick Van Horn) and Kate’s father, Creighton (Jon Voight) is…well…a surprisingly patient and gentle older man.

Spending time with family over the holidays is pretty much a subject we can all relate to. We all know what it’s like to be thrown together into the same room with our extended families and others, in a situation where we must display kindness even if we have serious reservations about certain family members. Instead of making honest and insightful observations about holiday bonding, Four Christmases favors zany sitcom situations that possess alarming hostility and awkwardness with very little humor. We can hardly relate to the family situations the characters face, therefore we find little reason to care. Does anyone really have overly-hostile brothers who viciously attack them every five minutes for no reason? Has anyone ever been plucked from a Church audience and thrown into a staged re-enactment of the Nativity story without direction? Has anyone ever had a Christmas where they’ve gone berserk on children from within a bouncy-bounce? If you’ve answered yes to any or all of these questions, my prayers go out to you.

Dysfunctional families thrown together for the holidays can be, and has been, the source of great comedy. You won’t find it here. I think I only laughed three times throughout the entire film. I’m not exaggerating, I literally counted: three times. Brad and Kate role-playing at a party, Brad performing in the Nativity scene, and a look through Kate’s childhood scrapbook provided the only laughs I had throughout the entire film. This is a comedy dead-zone of silence. I was also annoyed by how the film basically limps toward its ending. I should probably be grateful that the film doesn’t attempt to prolong the inevitable happy ending, but some kind of plot finesse or complication would’ve been nice.

Maybe I was too spoiled this year by My Best Friend’s Girl and Role Models, two comedies that put me in absolute stitches. I was hoping to keep the cinematic laugh train in full steam, but alas, it’s hit a brick wall. Those two earlier films showed talented people wonderfully pulling big, goofy laughs from everyday social situations, something Four Christmases strides for and fails at. The film’s director, Seth Gordon, pulled humor from real life in the documentary, The King of Kong, yet shows little grace with fictional comedy. Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon are enormously likeable and have nice chemistry together, yet the material doesn’t do their talents justice. They deserve better.

Vince Vaughn is a fine comic actor who has created a large comic fan base over the years. Many of his fans will be compelled to buy a ticket to his latest outing (I know I was) yet they will be supremely disappointed. They’re better off kicking back with Old School, Dodgeball, or one of my favorites, Starsky and Hutch. And by god, if you haven’t seen Swingers yet, do yourself a favor and rent it immediately. The struggling actors of that film would probably despise going to audition for Four Christmases.