Sabin wrote:The movie does take its time telling its story, but much like Pitt's previous effort, Jesse James, the story is compelling and it's just so beautiful to look at.
I have to take slight umbrage at criddic's assertion. I may be biased in my thinking that The Assassination of Jesse James... is one of the best American films of the decade, but Jesse James' strength is exactly what The Curious Case of Benjamin Button lacks. They both take their time but doing what? Every frame of The Assassination of Jesse James... invites contemplation, and every frame is juxtaposed with insightful commentary that deepens what is going on. You almost want to watch it twice to see what exactly it means. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is the exactly opposite. Every frame invites admiration. There are no mysteries. There are no insights. It's just there and lovely...and with a story as immediately intriguing as the Fitzgerald story, this is not enough.
Well, no two films are the same. Even more obvious may be that these stories had different goals. The Jesse James epic was about a an outlaw who is so tired with his notoriety that he eventually allows himself to be killed, which necessitates more tension than the Benjamin Button film, which is essentially a romantic drama about a man who lives his life to the fullest despite knowing that he'll never grow old with the woman he falls in love with. Not much intensity is required to tell the story of Benjamin Button for it to work.
Edited By criddic3 on 1231021461