Over the weekend I saw "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" and "Revolutionary Road" and holy crap were they awesome. Two very different movies but both were equally superb. I still can't get over how good they were.
"Button" is this fantastical story that shows what life could be like if lived in reverse. It has a quality of magical realism where obviously a man would never be born old only to age backwards but if it were to happen this is what the story would probably be like. The emotions that are captured in it are universal and speak to everyone.
To me this film is a great example of classic filmmaking with modern story telling. It's very epic in scope but you can tell it's a David Fincher film if you're familiar with his work ("Fight Club," "Se7en," and "Zodiac"). One of the best sub plots of the film was this old man who kept asking Benjamin Button if Ben knew that he'd been struck by lightning seven times.
There were these beautiful shots throughout the film that gave it this romantic feel, old time Hollywood feel. The acting was superb as well. Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett have great chemistry together and really inhabit these characters. I've always been a fan of Pitt's work, especially his collaborations with Fincher.
"Revolutionary Road" also possesses this magnificent story about a young couple that meet at a party one night and wind up a suburban family who want to escape that life. I loved this movie because I identified with how the characters always wanted more out of their lives and not wanting to buy into the notion that everyone should have a family right away and settle down in the suburbs.
Frank and April Wheeler (Leonardo DiCaprio & Kate Winslet) find themselves years down the line from when they first met living an empty life on Revolutionary Road in some no-name suburb of New York City. They always talk about moving to Paris and how doing so will reinvogorate their life the way it first was when they met.
It's a great story about two people who are bored with their lives and try to get more out of it but struggle to do so. The emotional pain they go through during the course of the movie is overwhelming and they rip each others heads off. Both Leo and Kate turn in great performances and Sam Mendes does another great job of looking at American Life. He closely examines our desires to long for more in our lives and what pushes us to our breaking points.
"Road" had probably the best dialogue of any film I've seen this year. It was absolutely ruthless. Whenever they would fight they'd tear each other a new one.
The scene stealer was Michael Shannon as John Givings. He had the meatiest part by far and took no prisoners in his performance as a brilliant but clinically insane mathematician. He tears into his couple of scenes and left me in awe. The writing is full of complex emotions and someone is always looking for some sort of escape from this suburban life.
It's not a happy-go-lucky kind of movie though so don't watch it and expect to walk out with a big smile on your face. But it's a great fucking movie.
I don't think these posts did the movies anywhere near justice so go out and see them. They are both great movies and people will be talking about them. Don't be a dumbass and miss out on seeing them.
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