If you liked 'Forest Gump', you'll probably like it, and if you didn't

Rating: 6/10 (2 January 2009)

you probably won't like this one either. Personally, I didn't - but I'll give this movie a 6 (would have gone 5.5 if half stars were allowed, rounding up) because it isn't pure junk, obviously not low budget. But it's no 'masterpiece' either.
The parallels to Gump are the style of narration by an odd character, the characters he encounters along the way (tug boat captain very close parallel to Gumps' Vietnam Lt.), as well as pointless asides for a set up (lady swimming the channel). Like Gump, the movie plays at the expense of some segments of society. (Gump, being slow people, B Button being old people portrayed as physically unattractive, even scary. B Pitt will most likely age far better in real life than this movie portrayed 'his older self' - most people do. The movie seemed to glorify youth) Like Gump, the movie has some forced emotionalism, at the end, B Button presents some flat statements as something profound.
There's also the positive portrayal of some bad morality, B Button's old girlfriend cheating on her new husband, with seemingly no regret whatsoever.
Beyond the 'Gump' comparisons, what could be an interesting period piece gets bogged down in 2 hours spent not even getting out of the early 1940s. This is a 60 minute idea, played out in over 2 1/2 hours.
And the obvious plausibility flaws about reducing size at both ends of life.
But credit where credit is due, it does have a few redeeming points about life - that a chain of seemingly random events can change someone's life (segment where the woman's dancing career is ended.) And the point where the right people might cross paths at the wrong time (B Button visiting New York).
As far as the acting goes, I think they're pretty much playing out the dictates of the script. I really don't know what more they could have done with it.
I'm rarely aware of editing, or even think about it. But an improved movie could be made by cutting 1/2 hour our of the first half, I think it was poorly edited.
I had never heard of this movie, 1 hour prior to seeing it, it was a last minute invite. The Gump comparisons were made by myself and my group immediately after the show - there was no prior suggestion of it from anyone else. Yet, clearly many people came to the same conclusion.
I said in my review of Forest Gump (on IMDb), that I wouldn't pick the movie, but I wouldn't spend a 'veto' against it with a group of friends who really wanted to see it either. I think that applies here too.