Benjamin Button
I watch one or two or three movies per month, on DVD or in a lousy Baguio theater. Haven’t watched television for months. Last week I considered watching Lawrence of Arabia, then I noticed that the running time was 217 minutes. I slid the DVD back on the shelf.
Today I viewed a movie, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. The screenwriter of Forrest Gump (two hours, twenty-one minutes) based this screenplay on the premise of an F. Scott Fitgerald short story. Benjamin Button and credits last two hours, forty-seven minutes. I was bored to tears. The flick had no car chase, no spaceship battles, no killer shark, no sword fights, no invading Martians – nothing exciting. Seriously, it was okay … It was an interesting story well told. If you see it, note similarities between this movie and Forrest Gump. “Compare and contrast,” as English teachers say. Benjamin ventures to Paris in pursuit of his true love who rebuffs him though she’s ailing, and years later later she goes to him without warning …
I wish that Hollywood would make more films of this ilk, rather than gory or salacious, mind-poisoning garbage. Just make them two hours or less.