I like a lot of movies. This one was a mess. There were so many side plots that went nowhere and made no sense like Forrest Gump which is exactly what i was thinking when I was watching it. Then after watching it I realized it was written by the guy who wrote FG. The structure is very similar. Someone with a disability overcomes the odds and lives an extraordinary life. The story is told in chapters by a narrator, like in FG. The plot jumps all over the place, introducing a whole series of irrelevant characters like the woman he fucks for a while and his pigmy friend. They have basically no purpose in the film and are just distractions from the lack of substance in the story. Also the one pigmy who was kept in a monkey cage (the character was based loosely on a real person) killed himself soon after being released. He didn't become a suave suit wearing, articulate man who traveled around the States fucking women twice his height.
The concept is extraordinary, but there is very little attention given to it. In fact people take very little notice of the fact that he is aging backwards and it doesn't affect very many aspects of his life.
In Forrest Gump the same thing occured. Despite being mentally handicapped, Forrest was able to live an extraordinary life without even trying. Everything just sort of fell into his lap, like with Benjamin Button. Not only is this 'random occurence' style of writing one of the laziest and easiest ways to construct a story, it isn't right to suggest that serious disabilities have no impact on people's lives. The subject matter isn't approached with sensitivity. Benjamin and Forrest don't have obstacles to overcome. Things just happen to them in an episodic and uninspired manner.
The editing was terrible. Particularly one seen where Blanchette's character was crapping on about Ballet while they were pouring each other glasses of white wine. There were about twenty long cross-fades in a row. Close ups of wine-glasses, her laughing hysterically, etc. One of the worst montages I've seen in recent memory.
Brad Pitt's performance was nothing. It was less interesting than his portrayal of the Angel of Death in 'Meet Joe Black'. His New Orleans accent is off, just like in Interview with the Vampire. Which brings me to New Orleans.
What the fuck was with Hurricane Katrina? The last shot of the film was of the clock ticking backwards in the basement of the building as it flooded with water. Did anyone not cringe when they saw this?
The overuse of the joke of the guy being hit by lightning was horrible and looked as if it belonged in Be Kind, Rewind rather than here.
The film had it's moments though, I guess, which is why I gave it 2 stars. It wasn't the worst film I've seen this month. But I would certainly never watch it again.
