In Contention

Tag: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

  • 12/29 Oscarweb Round-up

    Scarlett Johansson• Anita Singh looks at the upcoming year of the dog for British movie-goers, including “Beverly Hills Chihuahua,” “Bolt,” “Marley and Me” and “Wendy and Lucy.” [Daily Telegraph]

    • “A Christmas Tale” tops Andrew O’Hehir’s list of the 10 best indie films of 2008. [Beyond the Multiplex]

    • Jonathan Miles talks to newly minted Oscar host Hugh Jackman about “Australia” down under in Sydney. [The Times]

    • “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” screenwriter Eric Roth sues his investment manager for “losing a bundle” in businessman Bernie Madoff’s ill-fated Ponzi scheme. [New York Daily News]

    • Speaking of “Button,” Brad Brevet takes a deeper look at two negative assessments of the film. [Rope of Silicon]

    • James Rocchi chats with “Reader” director Stephen Daldry. [Cinematical]

    • Scarlett Johansson: the reluctant sex symbol. [The Times]

    • Susan King chats with Zoe Kazan about her role in “Revolutionary Road.” [Los Angeles Times]

  • December winner predictions

    Kate Winslet in Revolutionary RoadBefore we get to the end of the month here I thought I’d go ahead and toss up another set of winner predictions.  This’ll be the last pre-nom set.  I’ll go back to them next month, probably the day of the nominations announcement.  But for now, it’s really all blind guessing, as always.

    For last month’s set, click here.

    Best Picture: “Slumdog Millionaire”
    Best Director: Danny Boyle, “Slumdog Millionaire”
    Best Actor: Clint Eastwood, “Gran Torino”
    Best Actress: Kate Winslet, “Revolutionary Road”
    Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, “The Dark Knight”
    Best Supporting Actress: Penélope Cruz, “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”
    Best Adapted Screenplay: “Slumdog Millionaire”
    Best Original Screenplay: “Milk”
    Best Art Direction: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
    Best Cinematography: “Defiance”
    Best Costume Design: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
    Best Film Editing: “Slumdog Millionaire”
    Best Makeup: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
    Best Music – Original Score: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button””
    Best Music – Original Song: “The Wrestler”
    Best Sound Editing: “The Dark Knight”
    Best Sound Mixing: “The Dark Knight”
    Best Visual Effects: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
    Best Animated Feature Film: “WALL-E”
    Best Documentary Feature: “Man on Wire”
    Best Foreign Language Film: “Waltz with Bashir”

  • 45? Holy…

    Brad PittI never really keep up with actors’ ages or anything, but jeez, Brad Pitt is five years away from the half century mark?  Amazing.

    Anyway, Reed Johnson recently profiled the actor for the Los Angles Times regarding his role in David Fincher’s “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.”  Here’s a bit from the actor on growing older:

    “Once you hit 40, you start reexamining the math of it all,” says the actor, who turned 45 on Dec. 18. So far, he indicates, the pluses and minuses are adding up just fine. “I’ll trade wisdom for youth any day,” Pitt says.

    And digging at the heart of the film’s thesis:

    “[The film is] a tragedy in the sense that any love involves loss, and that’s the risk you take,” Pitt responds. “And the greater the love, the greater the loss. I certainly feel that now with the woman I’m with, and the children that I have. But whatever the course may be, this time together is extraordinary.”

    A nice piece.  Check out the rest here.

  • 12/26 Oscarweb Round-up

    (from left) Jamie Bell and Daniel Craig in Defiance• Bob Tourtellotte spends a minute with Sam Mendes. [Reuters]

    • David Poland responds to the week’s “Watchmen” wowser. [The Hot Blog]

    • Jeffrey Wells re-runs his thoughts on “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.” [Hollywood Elsewhere]

    • Joel Stein wants it understood that Jews still run Hollywood, m’kay? [Los Angeles Times]

    • Lisa Marks responds. [The Guardian]

    • Kim Voynar considers the adapting of a dramatic work from an inherently undramatic source with Edward Zwick’s “Defiance” in mind. [Movie City News]

    • David Carr gives you a chance to cast your vote. [The Carpetbagger]

  • ‘Button’ on the rocks?

    Brad Pitt in The Curious Case of Benjamin ButtonSasha Stone over at Awards Daily points us to Roger Ebert’s two-and-a-half star review of “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” and I have to say, it’s a pretty rough assessment.  Scattering his piece with notions like “[t]he movie’s premise devalues any relationship” and “[g]iven the resources and talent here, quite a movie might have resulted,” Ebert finally closes with this swipe at the film:

    According to the oddsmakers at MovieCityNews, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” is third among the top five favorites for best picture. It may very well win. It expends Oscar-worthy talents on an off-putting gimmick. I can’t imagine many people wanting to see the movie twice. There was another film this year that isn’t in the “top five,” or listed among the front-runners at all, and it’s a profound consideration of the process of living and aging. That’s Charlie Kaufman’s “Synecdoche, New York.” It will be viewed and valued decades from now. You mark my words.

    I can’t help but consider the fact that Ebert’s tastes are typically comparable to the Academy’s.  Might this reaction and some of those “it lacks a soul” quips begin to eat away at the armor?  Or can it sustain with voters siding with, say, James Rocchi’s opinion that the film “isn’t about a man who lives backwards or a woman who lives forwards … Get past the plot, the pitch, and the technique, and you can see it as a reminder that all we can do is live now.”

    Personally, I have a lot of respect for the film and certainly the effort.  After a couple of viewings, I saw it as one of the year’s best.  But I completely understand the arm’s-length feeling some viewers are taking away from it and, again, can’t help but wonder what, if anything, that might ultimately mean for Oscar.

    It’s an intriguing question popping up this season.

  • OFF THE CARPET: A season less ordinary…or is it?

    (from left) Michael Caine, Heath Ledger and Christian Bale in The Dark KnightThe critics have nearly concluded their annual kudos dish.  The first guild has spoken, giving us some sliver of insight into what Academy members might think of the 2008-2009 Oscar season.  With such a thin crop of contenders, the tome has been “broad, but shallow, playing field,” leaving the opportunity for multiple films to find their champions and even the least AMPAS-friendly of products to find room at the table.

    So as we inch toward year’s end, what have we learned?  When it comes to the usual blend, the Academy will find a way.

    A scenario has been kicking around inside my head for some time that, like one concerned reader in another post, scares me to death.  It is pretty much a done deal for “Slumdog Millionaire” and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” two refreshingly different films where AMPAS tastes are concerned, but paradoxically boring with the knowledge that there is passion elsewhere, seemingly too intimidated to rear its head.

    “Frost/Nixon” and “Milk” are assured after that, it seems, two films cut from the AMPAS cloth from a director who knows that cloth well and one who only finds Academy acceptance when he goes there, respectively.  After that, “the knowledge” has become the truly exciting spark of the season: can a populist film such as “The Dark Knight” or “WALL-E” find the right base of passion to push through for a Best Picture nomination?

    I fear we may have all gotten carried away with ourselves and our love of these films, whether you fall on one side or both, because we’re ignoring AMPAS tendency at our own peril.

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  • ‘Slumdog’ dominates the critics awards circuit

    (from left) Freida Pinto and Dev Patel in Slumdog MillionaireIt looks like the critics groups are slowly winding down this season, the annual influx finally settling in for a post-glut nap.  I believe the only organizations left to announce are the Kansas City, Vancouver and Central Ohio crowds, as well as the National Society of Film Critics, all of whom should reveal their winners in the new year.

    With that in mind, I’ve gone ahead and compiled a list of links to the various groups to announce so far and their lists of winners and/or nominees.  In some cases, there are still only nominees (like the BFCA and HFPA), with awards shows still to come.  But for the most part, I think we’ve got a clear consensus winner from the critics this season: Danny Boyle’s “Slumdog Millionaire,” with a striking 10 wins to its credit so far.  I think it’s safe to say the London critics will hand the film their Best British Film of the Year award, bringing the tally to 11, and frankly, I feel like it’s signed, sealed and delivered from the BFCA.  So if we feel safe assuming, we’re talking 12 big wins all told before the final four groups chime in at the top of 2009.

    Of course, it’s not the consensus we had last year or in 2005, but it’s a pretty clear indication that the year’s critical champ is Boyle’s explosive and dynamic endeavor.  Does this put it on a course for an Oscar?  Maybe.  But we still have a long way to go.

    So far there are seven films with the designation “best of the year,” some in the way of ties.  Those films are “Slumdog,” of course, then “The Dark Knight” (3), “Milk” (3), “WALL-E” (3), “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (2), “Frost/Nixon” (1), “Happy-Go-Lucky” (1) and “Wendy and Lucy” (1).  Nothing so far for Best Picture hopefuls “Doubt” or “Revolutionary Road.”

    I’ll revisit this post in a few weeks with the grand total.  But for now, the critics awards so far, with links to our own coverage where applicable:

    African American Film Critics Association — “The Dark Knight”
    Alliance of Women Film Journalists     — “Slumdog Millionaire”
    Austin Film Critics Association — “The Dark Knight”
    Boston Society of Film Critics (IC coverage) — “Slumdog Millionaire,” “WALL-E”
    Broadcast Film Critics Association (IC coverage) — winners announced Jan. 8
    Chicago Film Critics Association (nominees, winners) — “WALL-E”
    Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association — “Slumdog Millionaire”
    Detroit Film Critics Society (IC coverage: nominees, winners) — “Slumdog Millionaire”
    Florida Film Critics Circle — “Slumdog Millionaire”
    Houston Film Critics Society — “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
    Hollywood Foreign Press Association (IC coverage) — winners announced Jan. 11
    International Press Academy (IC coverage: nominees, winners) — “Slumdog Millionaire,” “Happy-Go-Lucky”
    Las Vegas Film Critics Society — “Frost/Nixon”
    London Film Critics Circle (IC coverage) — winners announced Feb. 4
    Los Angeles Film Critics Association (IC coverage) — “WALL-E”
    New York Film Critics Circle (IC coverage) — “Milk”
    New York Film Critics Online — “Slumdog Millionaire”
    Phoenix Film Critics Society — “Slumdog Millionaire”
    San Diego Film Critics Society (IC coverage) — “Slumdog Millionaire”
    San Francisco Film Critics Circle (IC coverage) — “Milk”
    Southeastern Film Critics Association — “Milk”
    St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association — “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
    Toronto Film Critics Association (IC coverage) — “Wendy and Lucy”
    Utah Film Critics Association — “The Dark Knight”
    Washington, D.C. Area Film Critics Association — “Slumdog Millionaire”

  • Brad Pitt on Larry King

    Brad Pitt went on Larry King Live recently to talk “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.”  I’m just now getting around to it.  Have a look:

  • 12/21 Oscarweb Round-up

    Kåre Hedebrant in Let the Right One In• Jeff Wells is still peeved at the critical snubs of “Revolutionary Road,” aside from a few exceptions. [Hollywood Elsewhere]

    • Tom O’Neil and Michael Musto debate the likely Best Picture victor. [Gold Derby]

    • Another un-bylined Calendar piece.  What gives?  Anyway, David Fincher is talking to somebody about “The Curious case of Benjamin Button.” [Los Angeles Times]

    • Alonso Duralde spotlights the year’s best, sans Oscar bait. [MSNBC]

    • John Hiscock chats with “Rachel Getting Married” star Debra Winger.  Anyone wondering, half-way through the season, why anyone was crazy enough to think she had an Oscar play? [Daily Telegraph]

    • Jenni Miller digs into the role of a stripper with critical kudos champ Marisa Tomei. [Premiere]

    • Bryan Appleyard talks “The Reader” with director Stephen Daldry. [The Times]

    • “Let the Right One In” tops David Ansen’s list of the year’s best.  Nice.  Beware a cop-out tie at #10, though. [Newsweek]

  • The costume design of ‘Benjamin Button’

    Costume design sketch from The Curious Case of Benjamin ButtonParamount Pictures has put together a brilliant little FYC site for “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” that I’m just now getting around to, fit with the usual bells and whistles: downloadable screenplay, score samples (God Alexandre Desplat’s work is gorgeous), clips and interviews, etc.  You can enter the site by clicking on the ad at the top of the page here.

    I always look for proper care and consideration for the crafts of this film or that each season.  It’s our mandate, as long-time readers know, that those names get the same exposure as the biggest of stars.  Paramount Vantage always does a nice job of that with its Vantage Guilds website, but more and more, other studios are following Vantage’s example.

    For instance, on the “Button” site, there is a nice little gallery of costume design sketches from Jacqueline West’s portfolio, with screen test photos to go along with the ultimate look of the apparel in the film.  It gives you a nice cross section of the work and a look at its journey from the hypothetical to the tangible.

    And indeed, West’s work on the film is quite lovely, a much more thorough and certainly more varried array of threads than you might expect.  Cate Blanchett’s red dress from a key scene in the film has popped up in at least one Q&A.  Director David Fincher used some CGI nit-picking to amp up the red and add to the experience of the scene’s emotional beats.  But that’s not to take away from what West has done, which is outfit a hell of an epic with a beautiful wardrobe that walks the line between reality and fantasy nicely and understands that dichotomy, one that lies at the heart of the film.

  • 12/17 Oscarweb Round-up

    Roger Ebert• Jeff Wells knows how to fix “Valkyrie” after the fact. [Hollywood Elsewhere]

    • John Campea suffers through the worst films of the year. [The Movie Blog]

    • Scientists claim that real-life relationships can’t live up to those in the movies. [Daily Telegraph]

    • Rob Turbovsky says biopics are hijacking real life for narrative gain. [Rope of Silicon]

    • David Poland spends 30 minutes with “Che” star Benicio Del Toro. [The Hot Blog]

    • Kelley L. Carter reports from Monday night’s rainy “Revolutionary Road” premiere. [USA Today]

    • Roger Ebert gets lifetime honorary membership in the DGA. [Associated Press]

    • Reed Johnson covers the making of “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.” [The Envelope]

    • Mark Olsen, meanwhile, catches up with David Kross and his coming of age in “The Reader.” [The Envelope]

    • Tom O’Neil finally gets around to why Hugh Jackman is the perfect choice for Oscar host. [Gold Derby]

    • Dave Karger makes a sound argument for the Best Picture exclusion of “Doubt” and “Revolutionary Road” with 42 West honcho Cynthia Swartz’s stretch for a counter argument based totally on things that…haven’t happened yet. [Entertainment Weekly]

    • Karina Longworth lists the top 10 unreleased films of the year. [Spout Blog]

  • Critics, critics, critics…

    I’ve been out all day long so I haven’t been able to post, let alone comment on the array of awards that were dished out today (beyond the Golden Satellites).  Luckily, Sasha Stone and Ryan Adams are, as always, on top of it, so check out their posts regarding the St. Louis winners (topped by “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”), the Southeastern Film Critics nominees (with a top 10) and the Alliance of Women Film Journalists Awards (with high marks for “Slumdog Millionaire”).

    Tom O’Neil also has some brief commentary on the multitude of kudos at Gold Derby.  Just nevermind the unnecessary Sean Penn swipe.

    Truthfully, it’s all running together in my head now.  Too many to count.

  • Runnin’ on empty: the best films of 2008

    Javier Bardem and Rebecca Hall in Vicky Cristina BarcelonaJust to say it once more, because I’ve certainly brought it up enough, 2008 was not a good year for film-goers.

    That’s an incredibly subjective quip, of course, but I certainly found myself struggling with the level of quality on display with each and every screening, the oasis of the Oscar season ultimately proving to be a trickster mirage on the horizon as contenders ultimately fell flat or disappointed in various ways. And suddenly, we’re two weeks away from 2009.

    Who let the goods out?

    But a year lacking broad quality can be a fun “Where’s Waldo” for the impassioned film lover, and so it is that I found some truly wonderful, praise-worthy work from a number of driven and creative filmmakers this year. But a peculiarity began to arise as I sifted through the year’s offerings: What a load of downer cinema.

    I first noticed it in the documentary offerings, heavier on morose subject matter than any other year I can remember. Depictions of the horrors of Katrina, the passionate life and tragic death of a Neil Diamond impersonator, the work of a journalist obsessed with his own inevitable suicide, the nation’s stance on the death penalty, the life and times of a child molester, a heart-breaking family drama in St. John’s, Newfoundland, a national economy on life support, despicable soldier etiquette at our global detention facilities -– it is hardly surprising that the most well-received documentary of the year is a celebration of an “artistic crime” in James Marsh’s “Man on Wire.” But how odd that the genre’s resident cynic, Werner Herzog, was responsible for one of the few other positive doc titles that made the rounds this year?

    Moving into the realm of fiction, even the usually jubilant folks at Pixar couldn’t help but crank out their most sobering film to date, a cautionary tale wrapped in the guise of a love story that conveyed a creepy sense of inevitability despite a hopeful denouement.

    I bring these observations up for a reason, and that is to add some perspective to the list you’ll find below. 2008 was a bellwether for me personally as I began to let the idea of “best” as a definitive slip away and become something more akin to a solid if flexible representation of the times, and how those times affect the viewer.

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  • AFI list a blend of commercial and independent cinema

    Paramount Pictures' Iron ManThe American Film Institute has unveiled its schizophrenic list of the top 10 films of the year, and it’s a strangely delightful mixture of populist choices and more fringe contenders.

    The appearance of “Iron Man” is as interesting as “Wendy and Lucy” popping up, but I don’t think this collective will do much to help any of the films within.  Just another fun list of the year’s best.  (Speaking of which, be sure to tune in tomorrow for my own list of same.  Like how I turned that into a plug?)

    Not sure why “Slumdog Millionaire” was snubbed.  Is it considered an American production?  Anyway, here’s the list:

    “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
    “The Dark Knight”
    “Frost/Nixon”
    “Frozen River”
    “Gran Torino”
    “Iron Man”
    “Milk”
    “WALL-E”
    “Wendy and Lucy”
    “The Wrestler”

  • 12/13 Oscarweb Round-up

    Taraji P. Henson• How many Oscar Best Picture winners can you name in five minutes? [Jet Punk]

    • David Poland responds to “Gran Torino” raves with another slap in the face for Clint Eastwood and his film. [The Hot Blog]

    • Jeff Wells is a fan of “Good,” lost in the Oscar shuffle this year. [Hollywood Elsewhere]

    • Yours truly talks Globe nods and more with John Campea, podcast style. [The Movie Blog]

    • “The Dark Knight” tops Steven King’s list of the year’s best. [Entertainment Weekly]

    • Tom Cruise might be reprising his Golden Globe-nominated turn as Les Grossman. [E! Online]

    • Patrick Goldstein talks to Oscar telecast producer Larry Mark about the Jackman emcee pick. [The Big Picture]

    • A brief back-and-forth with “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” star Taraji P. Henson. [Vulture]

    • Yours truly profiles the actress. [Variety]

    • David Carr makes some humorous observations about a few of the season’s movie posters. [The Carpetbagger]

  • 15 films vie for visual effects recognition

    The Dark KnightA little late to the party on this.  Been out, so, apologies.  But it looks like AMPAS has narrowed the Best Visual Effects field to 15 contenders, as follows:

    “Australia”
    “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian”
    “Cloverfield”
    “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
    “The Dark Knight”
    “The Day the Earth Stood Still”
    “Hancock”
    “Hellboy II: The Golden Army”
    “The Incredible Hulk”
    “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”
    “Iron Man”
    “Journey to the Center of the Earth”
    “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor”
    “Quantum of Solace”
    “The Spiderwick Chronicles”

    I’ve always had the itching feeling that “The Spiderwick Chronicles” could surprise in this category, but that could be the same feeling that told me the same thing about “I Am Legend” and “The WaterHorse.”  Anyway, after seeing “The Day the Earth Stood Still” Thursday night, I’m inclined to take it off my predicted three (where it’s been for a few months now).  There wasn’t anything particularly popping about it, and really, all the effects are ultimately in the trailer.  I thought there’d be more.

    So with that, I still think “Iron Man” and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (your winner, ladies and gentlemen) are secure.  Then I’d say it’s a free-for-all.  Love for “The Dark Knight,” despite a reliance of practical effects, could spread to this field.  Though after checking out the DVD’s special features, I see there’s more CGI going on than I thought.  Interesting to see “Cloverfield” on here, and really, I wouldn’t be shocked.  “Hancock” is still a possibility, but come on.  Most of those effects were kind of cheesy.  Maybe.

    Any of the summer films — “Prince Caspian,” “The Incredible Hulk,” “Hellboy II” — could pop up here, but I might lean toward the Bat at the end of the day.  We need to here from the Visual Effects Society to get a better idea.

  • Golden Globes: the nominees react

    Leonardo DiCaprioThe Hollywood Foreign Press Association tipped its collective hat to a number of the season’s hopeful contenders this morning, so it’s time to hear some reactions. Generally, a piece such as this is bound to consist of a bunch of gushing, perhaps even boilerplate gratitude from the nominees. And one certainly couldn’t fault them for it. But I always enjoy hearing reactions from people whose lives are being changed this time of year, and certainly, those who can’t help but feel humbled by the recognition.

    What can I say? I’m not a grouch all the time.

    Matteo Garrone was first to call this morning. His epic crime saga “Gomorrah” was predictably short-listed in the Best Foreign Language Film category.

    “The movie is going so well and everything is such a surprise,” he said. “We wanted to give the audience the instrument, the information to understand better how the Camorra organization works on the inside, without any glamorizing, but to try to show the real atmosphere, the real location. We wanted to make a movie that was universal, and this result, I think it proves that we achieved that.”

    When I interviewed author Roberto Saviano last month, who penned the original book “Gomorrah” is adapted from, he had similar sentiments to offer. The film is one of the year’s best, a triumphant piece of work that frankly should be getting more recognition than simple relegation to the foreign film fields, but any notice is fortunate, as Garrone is quick to point out.

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  • Golden Globes: ‘Slumdog,’ ‘Button’ steady…whither ‘Milk?’

    Well, I said yesterday one should always expect oddities with the Golden Globes … but even with that in mind, they never fail to pull out some genuine “WTF” moments.

    Tom Cruise’s goofy Best Supporting Actor nod for “Tropic Thunder” may have been the most eccentric revelation of the morning, but surely the most significant shocker is the absence of “Milk” — presumed by many to be “Slumdog Millionaire”‘s chief rival in the Oscar race — in the Best Picture (Drama) category.

    The shut-out proved even more blatant when neither Josh Brolin nor James Franco, who have been making healthy progress in the precursors, landed in the Supporting Actor race. Still processing that one — right now, I can’t think of a suitable theory to explain its absence. (But hey, at least Franco landed a left-field comedy-category nod for “Pineapple Express” … I think I know one guy who will be stoked with that.)

    The producers of “Slumdog Millionaire” will no doubt be thrilled by the news, as will those of “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” which claws back some momentum after taking a knock in this week’s precursors. In an unusually spread-out slate, “Button” and “Frost/Nixon” lead the pack of Best Picture nominees, with 5 nods apiece — I must admit I never expected the latter to be a field leader. (Meanwhile, in yet another of the morning’s oddities, their tally is equalled by the Best Picture-omitted “Doubt.”)

    Some will be surprised by the failure of “The Dark Knight” to land Picture or Director nods, though I personally didn’t see the film the registering that strongly with the Foreign Press.

    On the other hand, I naively failed to foresee that Harvey Weinstein would work his magic once more on the organisation — Kris’ prediction of a strong showing for “The Reader” was right on the money. Meanwhile, despite whispers that the HFPA wasn’t all that keen on “Revolutionary Road,” the nominations tell a different story. The nod for Sam Mendes is one I find particularly surprising; Paramount Vantage will no doubt heave a huge sigh of relief after a terrible precursor week that saw the film blanked in the Broadcast Film Critics’ nominations.

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