Saturday, January 3, 2009
Holiday Movie Reviews
"Valkyrie" : B+ (Very good)
Director Bryan Singer delivers again in his cunning ability to create tense and absorbing drama with a naturalistic approach. Like a storyteller who just sits there sipping his tea and telling his little story, and you suddenly find your hands tightly gripping the edge of your seat, palms all sweaty. Tom Cruise is excellent (by his standards at least), and the supporting cast is very strong. Unfortunately, there seems to be something inherently unsatisfying in watching a noble action unfold while knowing from the beginning that it will fall short at the end. Certainly, a movie about a known "failure" can still be fulfilling; this one doesn't quite get there.
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" : A (I LOVE IT!!)
I'm gonna use a phrase that might make me sound old or old-fashioned: "They don't make movies like this anymore!" This is a true romantic epic, a story where time and emotions are forever entangled. Eternal questions about life and love get revisited through the world of Benjamin Button, a man who is born old and ages backwards. From the moment when the marching of time was introduced as a theme, it cast a magic spell that never let up throughout the movie - A spell that made it easy to forgive any small flaws hidden under the grandieur of the story, a spell that could stay with you for a long time afterwards. Major credits go to the makeup and CG work that enabled Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett to play the same characters from teenage through the 80s, creating a continuity that's virtually impossible to achieve with multiple actors.
More to come...
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I can't say I wholeheartedly agree with you, Johnny. I loved the premise of the movie. Parts of it were well done and left me both entertained and pondering. However, the movie could have been 80 minutes in duration and had the same effect. 159 minutes in duration? I kept looking at my watch - and I don't even wear a watch! The length spoiled it. -- James.
ReplyDeleteHi James, I think that's where personal tastes come in. For me, I loved the length because I enjoyed immersing myself in the story. For you, it was way too much. Ever since the LOTR trilogy ended, I have generally stayed away from longer movies, because they pose a bigger risk of time wasted. I took a small leap of faith with "Benjamin Button," and I'm glad I did.
ReplyDeleteI recently watched "Munich" on video - Man, it felt so long (164 min). I think it would've been a lot better if it was under 2 hours.
Thanks for the comments!