Best Hollywood production of the decade

Rating: 9/10 (31 January 2009)

I think this is the best Hollywood production I have seen since King Kong in 2005 and a brave and succeeded attempt to combine visual spectacle with meaning. Finally an America movie that deals with what it means being human; living and growing old, and remembering the ones who crossed our paths. Some of those people were memorable. Even more than the ballet-dancer for me the person of this movie was the wonderful swimming lady with the dreamy eerie voice, who couldn't help but redo her attempt to cross the Channel. That was the moment for me, also in the end when she came back. I love movies with breathtaking ends, and this one had, with a small sum-up of all the people as they were through the ages. Any movie that has memorable moments for us is worth the test of time, isn't it? It all looked great and certainly it was big budget money well spent: the scenery, background was lush and wonderful, like one big art deco hotel through the ages.
Of course, this as almost any movie, had its problems, too. I think the beginning was awkward. Somehow due to a clock turning backwards we are supposed to believe it's credible babies are born that way. Also the end, which would normally be interesting  how do you cope with a baby getting younger and younger  was left out to speed thing up. The focus was clearly on the most interesting part; that of our young lives where we do the most things we later remember. From that perspective, the aging backwards would have been an unnecessary element. The movie might have been just as good with Bradd Pitt aging normally. Probably that is a compliment for this flick, since it seems I was also accepting this normally contrived idea of Benjamin aging backwards. Of course, the movie could have been cut here and there, too. I thought it had its best part from the end of the middle on to the title score. That also happened to be the part where Benjamin was an adult in his prime. But then again, maybe the power came from what had been told in earlier parts, so one never really knows. I never really felt this movie had a sagging part. Many reviews call it magical, and sometimes I agree it was. With a price though, since we are never part of the dull ordinary working days of the characters. It truly is the axiom of Hithcock's movies: life with the dull parts taken out. Life as seen from this story seemed like an endless stay in a youth hostel through the years, chatting and meeting interesting people, filled with the nicest pictures as recollection of Benjamin's life. We all know it is not like that. It would also have been interesting to see how this movie would work out showing life how it was with the best parts taken out! I also think telling this story as a flashback from a diary in a hospital was too cliché. It could easily have been solved by maybe interviewing people who directly or indirectly knew him, or something in that style. Sure some Hollywood writers could have come with something better than that. Also the hummingbird was too contrived, too much put in. And maybe after all the CGI and effects, Brad Pitt didn't have to do that much. But Benjamin was still a memorable character, and he happened to be Brad Pitt. So well, an Oscar nomination is deserved, I think. Overall this movie certainly had a great cast, lovely scenery, and a resonance of life being precious and wonderful, themes we all know, but so nice to see again!