THE OSCARS EDITION

The Curious Case of Benjamin But-a-bit-too-long:

Opened December 25, 2008 | Runtime: 2 hr. 47 min.

Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Taraji P. Henson, Julia Ormond, Jason Flemyng

“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” was one of the longest movies I have ever seen, and no boat sunk so it was really not worth it! The movie is based on a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald about a man who is born old and gets younger with age. Brad Pitt surprised me in the movie because he really held his own opposite Cate Blanchett, who is by the far the best actress of our generation. He discovers many different, interesting characters along the way but still doesn’t have the power to stop time to be with the woman he loves. My favorite character in the film was played by Taraji P. Henson, who was Brad Pitt’s mother. Throughout the film she is extremely kind and never let Benjamin feel like an outsider. The cinematography of the film is breathtaking and it deserves being nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars. However, I would love the movie if it was half the length. I recommend renting it because you can have an intermission and I promise you will enjoy it way more that way. I say RENT IT.

3.5 Stars

Milk:

Opened November 26, 2008 | Runtime: 2 hr. 8 min.

Sean Penn, Emile Hirsch, Josh Brolin, Diego Luna, James Franco

Milk is directed by Gus Van Sant and tells the story of Harvey Milk who was the first openly gay official voted to office in America. He has been referred to as the “Mayor of Castro Street,” which is an openly gay community in San Francisco, California. Claudia Puig of USA Today calls the film, “…a powerful drama stirringly told.” Sean Penn plays Harvey Milk so convincingly that at times I felt I was watching a documentary on Harvey Milk and not a biopic. Actual footage from debates and protests were spliced into the movie, which I believe added a tinge of reality to the film. I was very surprised by Emile Hirsch as the former call-boy come Harvey’s assistant, he did a great job in the role. Diego Luna impressed me as the part of Harvey’s crazy lover. James Franco as Harvey’s live-in boyfriend was not very compelling and Josh Brolin’s take as Harvey’s conservative office partner fell short in my opinion. Definitely SEE IT because if nothing you will learn about a time we don’t really talk about too much.

4 Stars

Slumdog Millionaire:

Opened November 12, 2008 | Runtime: 2 hr. 0 min.

Dev Patel, Freida Pinto, Madhur Mittal, Anil Kapoor, Irfan Khan

Slumdog Millionaire is the BEST FILM I HAVE EVER SEEN! I got chills the whole time from this beautifully written and directed film. It was directed by British director, Danny Boyle, who also directed “Trainspotting.” The movie tells the story of a boy named Jamal Malik who lives in the slums of Mumbai and, by some twist of fate, ended up on an Indian version of “Who Wants to be a Millionaire.” Of course he answers many questions correctly and the judges believe he is cheating and throw him in jail. In jail he tells a story to correspond with each question he answered correctly. Each tale he tells is beautifully told and shot on film. The colors, sights, and beauty of Mumbai is caught on film, as well as the extreme poverty of the slums. The movie echoes the tragedy and beauty of “The City of God” in many ways. Todd McCarthy of “Variety” says the movie is, “…a story of social mobility that is positively Dickensian in its attention to detail and the extremes of poverty and wealth within a culture.” The unknown actors are great in the film because they do not distract from the plot of the film and each play their parts wonderfully. The movie keeps you on the edge of your seat and it is such a fun ride. The music score of the film is superb: combining both traditional Indian music with contemporary music artists, such as M.I.A. The movie was gripping at times and romantic at others. Although the movie may seem like a cheesy love story, it is so much more than that. It’s a tale of survival, love, finding happiness, and redemption. DEFINITELY SEE IT!!!!!!! The movie has been nominated for 10 Oscars and I truly hope it wins all of them!

Infinite Stars 