The Curious Case of Forrest Gump

I just realized I never blogged my review for this movie, so here we go. Let’s get one thing out of the way right off: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is not the feel good movie of the year. In fact, it’s pretty darn depressing, when you get down to it. It felt a lot like Forrest Gump, except it wasn’t as funny. One of those journey through life flicks, where you see a lot of how life has changed over the years, through the eyes of an interesting narrator. With that in mind, realize that this isn’t the sort of movie I usually go for. I don’t like depressing, first and foremost. But I really enjoyed this film. Why is this? Well for one thing, it’s based on a great concept. What would it be like to live your life backward? Be born old, then grow younger each day. Wouldn’t that be fantastic?

Here’s your answer: no. It wouldn’t. It would totally stink.

However, watching someone else go through that experience is fascinating and made me appreciate my own life more. The effects were great, the acting all superb, and the shots in the movie were outstanding. Frequently I was blown away by some of the way they handled film. There’s a reason this film was nominated for 13 Oscars, and a reason that it beat out Iron Man and Dark Knight for best visual effects. Really, if it weren’t for Slumdog Millionaire, Button likely would have cleaned up at the Oscars.

This is a movie you ought to see at least once. Yes, you’ll be sad. Yes, it’s a downer. But at the end of it, it’s a downer that makes you feel better about life, and that’s worth something. Four stars.