I finished the book last night, then popped some corn and watched the movie. The movie was good, but not as good as the book. I hate that the moviemakers left out the "Washington Irving" nonsense. That was one of my favorite recurring themes of the novel. I realize, though, that to condense a 500+ page novel into a two-hour movie requires a good deal of editing. Still, it seemed as though the moviemakers took out mainly the humor and satire, which was my favorite aspect of the book.
I love this: three actors who would later join the cast of "The Bob Newhart Show" are in Catch-22. Newhart himself plays Major Major, Peter Bonerz (Dr. Jerry Robinson on BN Show) plays McWatt, and Jack Riley (Mr. Elliot Carlin on BN Show) plays a surgeon. Other funny stuff: Anthony Perkins (Norman Bates on Psycho) plays, of all parts, the Chaplain, Martin Sheen plays Dobbs, Jon Voight plays Milo Minderbinder, Orson Welles plays General Dreedle, and, to my utter shock, Art Garfunkel (yes, of Simon and Garfunkel) does an excellent job of portraying Nately. I was impressed.
Thought Yossarian was a little over the top, even for Yossarian in the movie. There's a lot of line-screaming in this film. I think the movie would have been far move effective had the actors not been quite so dramatic. While reading the book, I pictured the characters speaking loudly and with excitement, but not with that much excitement.
Several of the characters looked as I pictured them. Yossarian fit perfectly, in my estimation. Major Major was a great role for Newhart, also. Once again, Art Garfunkle fits Nately's persona well. All in all, it was an effective and humorous film, but nothing compared to the angry hilarity to be found in the novel by Joseph Heller.
Showing posts with label movie review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label movie review. Show all posts
Monday, July 20, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Sorry...
Sorry I am so behind on blogging lately. I still need to do a book meme, two movie reviews, and a monochrome. I think I'm over my illnesses, but I haven't had a lot of energy lately (had a bit of insomnia while I was sick, and I think it's catching up with me). So please, bear with me. I'll try to get my TCT--brown up tomorrow, and perhaps one of the above-mentioned memes or reviews. I've been thinking a lot about the book one, so maybe that'll be the one. Or maybe I'll do the mono. Anyway, I napped off and on this evening, then got on Blogger for a little bit, and now I think I'm going back to bed. Hopefully will have more energy tomorrow...
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Movie Review--The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
And now, for the long-awaited Movie Review!
The movie confesses that it ripped off the name Benjamin Button and the whole idea of a guy aging backward from Scott Fitzgerald, so I decided to give it a go. Not that I'm a huge Fitzgerald fan, but because I like the modernist period in American literature and thought it might be fun to watch a movie based on something from that time. I went in tabula rasa--no clue what I was getting into and nothing to compare it to. I waited to read "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" by F. Scott Fitzgerald after I went to see the movie. However, after having read it, I'll say this: the movie is nothing like the Fitzgerald story. The filmmakers took a zillion liberties, but the story is kind of fun, anyway.
Benjamin Button. Whew, what can I say. I saw a lot of movie/novel plots wrapped up in this one: Scrooge: woman dying in childbirth, Forrest Gump: unrealistic number of life-changing experiences, Frankenstein: outcast person dealing with the cruelty of judgmental people, Fried Green Tomatoes: old women remembering the past... you get my drift.
Anyway, a little background: Brad Pitt stars as the title character, and Cate Blanchett co-stars as Daisy Fuller. The setting is mostly New Orleans, though there are some brief scenes in New York City, Paris, and parts of Russia, I believe. The time frame is all over the charts. It takes place from 1918-2005, jumping back and forth. The movie is a weave of romance, history, perhaps a little sci-fi (the bit about a guy that ages backwards) and a twist of comedy. It was contrived throughout, sappy in places, and highly unlikely. Other than that, I liked it.
Okay, some things I really, really liked about this movie. I love the fact that the movie spanned several decades/periods of history. The movie opens in 2005 at the onset of Hurricane Katrina, it then backtracks to 1918, just after WWI, and chronicles the life of Benjamin Button as told through his personal diary. It was a cool concept, and as I like WWII movies, I especially enjoyed the part of Button's life that took place during that particular era. I also loved the character of Button's adopted mother, Queenie. Sunrises over Lake Pontchartrain are another motif that I especially enjoyed in this movie.
And now, for the annoyances...
The plot was pretty predictable, and the sap flowed uncontrollably in places. There were clearly marked areas where the producers expected you, the audience, to turn on the water works (I'm surprised there weren't actual instructions reading: Emotional Scene. Begin crying NOW). Additionally, sometimes the timing was a little TOO perfect. I understand that time is a crucial issue in this movie, but come on. The story is unbelievable enough as it is, we don't need any of this perfect timing crap. Plus, I wasn't crazy about all the wishy-washy love stuff that went on.
Blanchett had some difficulty trading her British accent for a "N'Orleans" one, but other than that, I thought her acting was spot-on. Pitt was quite believable too, in such an unrealistic role. Kudos to the actors.
Overall, I'd say it's a good movie to watch for pure entertainment value. Don't look to glean any "moral of the story," or really much point to it at all. I didn't pick up on any symbolism, as I think this movie was kind of just for fun. If you go into the movie with that attitude, you'll probably be satisfied; if you go in looking for more substance, you'll be sorely disappointed.
The movie confesses that it ripped off the name Benjamin Button and the whole idea of a guy aging backward from Scott Fitzgerald, so I decided to give it a go. Not that I'm a huge Fitzgerald fan, but because I like the modernist period in American literature and thought it might be fun to watch a movie based on something from that time. I went in tabula rasa--no clue what I was getting into and nothing to compare it to. I waited to read "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" by F. Scott Fitzgerald after I went to see the movie. However, after having read it, I'll say this: the movie is nothing like the Fitzgerald story. The filmmakers took a zillion liberties, but the story is kind of fun, anyway.
Benjamin Button. Whew, what can I say. I saw a lot of movie/novel plots wrapped up in this one: Scrooge: woman dying in childbirth, Forrest Gump: unrealistic number of life-changing experiences, Frankenstein: outcast person dealing with the cruelty of judgmental people, Fried Green Tomatoes: old women remembering the past... you get my drift.
Anyway, a little background: Brad Pitt stars as the title character, and Cate Blanchett co-stars as Daisy Fuller. The setting is mostly New Orleans, though there are some brief scenes in New York City, Paris, and parts of Russia, I believe. The time frame is all over the charts. It takes place from 1918-2005, jumping back and forth. The movie is a weave of romance, history, perhaps a little sci-fi (the bit about a guy that ages backwards) and a twist of comedy. It was contrived throughout, sappy in places, and highly unlikely. Other than that, I liked it.
Okay, some things I really, really liked about this movie. I love the fact that the movie spanned several decades/periods of history. The movie opens in 2005 at the onset of Hurricane Katrina, it then backtracks to 1918, just after WWI, and chronicles the life of Benjamin Button as told through his personal diary. It was a cool concept, and as I like WWII movies, I especially enjoyed the part of Button's life that took place during that particular era. I also loved the character of Button's adopted mother, Queenie. Sunrises over Lake Pontchartrain are another motif that I especially enjoyed in this movie.
And now, for the annoyances...
The plot was pretty predictable, and the sap flowed uncontrollably in places. There were clearly marked areas where the producers expected you, the audience, to turn on the water works (I'm surprised there weren't actual instructions reading: Emotional Scene. Begin crying NOW). Additionally, sometimes the timing was a little TOO perfect. I understand that time is a crucial issue in this movie, but come on. The story is unbelievable enough as it is, we don't need any of this perfect timing crap. Plus, I wasn't crazy about all the wishy-washy love stuff that went on.
Blanchett had some difficulty trading her British accent for a "N'Orleans" one, but other than that, I thought her acting was spot-on. Pitt was quite believable too, in such an unrealistic role. Kudos to the actors.
Overall, I'd say it's a good movie to watch for pure entertainment value. Don't look to glean any "moral of the story," or really much point to it at all. I didn't pick up on any symbolism, as I think this movie was kind of just for fun. If you go into the movie with that attitude, you'll probably be satisfied; if you go in looking for more substance, you'll be sorely disappointed.
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Random Today Stuff...
I woke up at 7:00 this morning. That's pretty good, I suppose, considering that I went to bed around midnight and couldn't sleep well due to my sinus congestion. I would have gotten up to take a Benadryl or something, but I keep having these crazy flashbacks to a time when I took too much Benadryl and The Wall (the Pink Floyd album) actually started making sense to me. This time I opted to just massage my forehead and hope for the best. Apparently, I slept enough because, though I was a little groggy at 7:00, I was quite ready to actually get out of bed by 8:00 instead of falling back asleep.
Since I didn't have to go to work today, I decided to continue my movie review of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (coming soon, I hope, to a blog near you (A.K.A. this one)). Then, I decided that since I hadn't read the short story of the same name, I wasn't quite ready to review the movie. So yeah, I read the story. I also dried three loads of laundry (one of the cats, Snugs, got in the basement during the laundry-drying, and my dad had to get her out). Then, during another episode of laundry-drying, I heard a phantom door-opening and yelled for the cats to all stay upstairs. It wouldn't have been such a major catastrophy had the basement not been housing a poinsettia. Anyway, my yelling must have discouraged whatever criminal was trying to sneak into the basement. As I headed back towards the stairs, the door was wide open, and I saw a very guilty-looking Abby staring at me.
In other news, I've been crocheting a doily for my cousin for her wedding. Perhaps I'll take a photo and post on here when it's done.
Since I didn't have to go to work today, I decided to continue my movie review of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (coming soon, I hope, to a blog near you (A.K.A. this one)). Then, I decided that since I hadn't read the short story of the same name, I wasn't quite ready to review the movie. So yeah, I read the story. I also dried three loads of laundry (one of the cats, Snugs, got in the basement during the laundry-drying, and my dad had to get her out). Then, during another episode of laundry-drying, I heard a phantom door-opening and yelled for the cats to all stay upstairs. It wouldn't have been such a major catastrophy had the basement not been housing a poinsettia. Anyway, my yelling must have discouraged whatever criminal was trying to sneak into the basement. As I headed back towards the stairs, the door was wide open, and I saw a very guilty-looking Abby staring at me.
In other news, I've been crocheting a doily for my cousin for her wedding. Perhaps I'll take a photo and post on here when it's done.
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Movie Review--The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The movie confesses that it ripped off the name Benjamin Button and the whole idea of a guy aging backward from Scott Fitzgerald, so I decided to give it a go. Not that I'm a huge Fitzgerald fan, but because I like the modernist period in American literature and thought it might be fun to watch a movie based on something from that time. I went in tabula rasa--no clue what I was getting into and nothing to compare it to. I waited to read "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" by F. Scott Fitzgerald after I went to see the movie. However, after having read it, I'll say this: the movie is nothing like the Fitzgerald story. The filmmakers took a zillion liberties, but the story is kind of fun, anyway.
Benjamin Button. Whew, what can I say. I saw a lot of movie/novel plots wrapped up in this one: Scrooge: woman dying in childbirth, Forrest Gump: unrealistic number of life-changing experiences, Frankenstein: outcast person dealing with the cruelty of judgmental people, Fried Green Tomatoes: old women remembering the past... you get my drift.
Anyway, a little background: Brad Pitt stars as the title character, and Cate Blanchett co-stars as Daisy Fuller. The setting is mostly New Orleans, though there are some brief scenes in New York City, Paris, and parts of Russia, I believe. The time frame is all over the charts. It takes place from 1918-2005, jumping back and forth. The movie is a weave of romance, history, perhaps a little sci-fi (the bit about a guy that ages backwards) and a twist of comedy. It was contrived throughout, sappy in places, and highly unpredictable. Other than that, I liked it.
Okay, some things I really, really liked about this movie. I love the fact that the movie spanned several decades/periods of history. The movie opens in 2005 at the onset of Hurricane Katrina, it then backtracks to 1918, just after WWI, and chronicles the life of Benjamin Button as told through his personal diary. It was a cool concept, and as I like WWII movies, I especially enjoyed the part of Button's life that took place during that particular era. I also loved the character of Button's adopted mother, Queenie. Sunrises over Lake Pontchartrain are another motif that I especially enjoyed in this movie.
And now, for the annoyances...
The plot was pretty predictable, and the sap flowed uncontrollably in places. There were clearly marked areas where the producers expected you, the audience, to turn on the water works (I'm surprised there weren't actual instructions reading: Emotional Scene. Begin crying NOW). Additionally, sometimes the timing was a little TOO perfect. I understand that time is a crucial issue in this movie, but come on. The story is unbelievable enough as it is, we don't need any of this perfect timing crap. Plus, I wasn't crazy about all the wishy-washy love stuff that went on.
Blanchett had some difficulty trading her British accent for a "N'Orleans" one, but other than that, I thought her acting was spot-on. Pitt was quite believable too, in such an unrealistic role. Kudos to the actors.
Overall, I'd say it's a good movie to watch for pure entertainment value. Don't look to glean any "moral of the story," or really much point to it at all. I didn't pick up on any symbolism, as I think this movie was kind of just for fun. If you go into the movie with that attitude, you'll probably be satisfied; if you go in looking for more substance, you'll be sorely disappointed.
Benjamin Button. Whew, what can I say. I saw a lot of movie/novel plots wrapped up in this one: Scrooge: woman dying in childbirth, Forrest Gump: unrealistic number of life-changing experiences, Frankenstein: outcast person dealing with the cruelty of judgmental people, Fried Green Tomatoes: old women remembering the past... you get my drift.
Anyway, a little background: Brad Pitt stars as the title character, and Cate Blanchett co-stars as Daisy Fuller. The setting is mostly New Orleans, though there are some brief scenes in New York City, Paris, and parts of Russia, I believe. The time frame is all over the charts. It takes place from 1918-2005, jumping back and forth. The movie is a weave of romance, history, perhaps a little sci-fi (the bit about a guy that ages backwards) and a twist of comedy. It was contrived throughout, sappy in places, and highly unpredictable. Other than that, I liked it.
Okay, some things I really, really liked about this movie. I love the fact that the movie spanned several decades/periods of history. The movie opens in 2005 at the onset of Hurricane Katrina, it then backtracks to 1918, just after WWI, and chronicles the life of Benjamin Button as told through his personal diary. It was a cool concept, and as I like WWII movies, I especially enjoyed the part of Button's life that took place during that particular era. I also loved the character of Button's adopted mother, Queenie. Sunrises over Lake Pontchartrain are another motif that I especially enjoyed in this movie.
And now, for the annoyances...
The plot was pretty predictable, and the sap flowed uncontrollably in places. There were clearly marked areas where the producers expected you, the audience, to turn on the water works (I'm surprised there weren't actual instructions reading: Emotional Scene. Begin crying NOW). Additionally, sometimes the timing was a little TOO perfect. I understand that time is a crucial issue in this movie, but come on. The story is unbelievable enough as it is, we don't need any of this perfect timing crap. Plus, I wasn't crazy about all the wishy-washy love stuff that went on.
Blanchett had some difficulty trading her British accent for a "N'Orleans" one, but other than that, I thought her acting was spot-on. Pitt was quite believable too, in such an unrealistic role. Kudos to the actors.
Overall, I'd say it's a good movie to watch for pure entertainment value. Don't look to glean any "moral of the story," or really much point to it at all. I didn't pick up on any symbolism, as I think this movie was kind of just for fun. If you go into the movie with that attitude, you'll probably be satisfied; if you go in looking for more substance, you'll be sorely disappointed.
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