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Release Date: November 26, 2008
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Frank Martin has been pressured into transporting Valentina, the kidnapped daughter of Leonid Vasilev, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency for the Ukraine, from Marseilles through Stuttgart and Budapest until he ends up in Odessa on the Black Sea. Along the way, with the help of Inspector Tarconi, Frank has to contend with the people who strong armed him to take the job, agents sent by Vasilev to intercept him, and the general non-cooperation of his passenger. Despite Valentina's cynical disposition and his resistance to get involved, Frank and Valentina fall for each other, while escaping from one life-threatening situation after another.
Starring:
Jason Statham, Francois Berléand, Natalya Rudakova, Robert Knepper, Jeroen Krabbe, Alex Kobold, David Atrakchi, Yann Sundberg, Eriq Ebouaney, David Kammenos
Directed by:
Olivier Megaton
Rating: PG-13 (for sequences of intense action and violence, some sexual content and drug material)
Genre: Action/Adventure
Runtime: 100 min
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 RYAN:
I had such high expectations for "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,"
thinking it would not only be nominated for a Best Picture Oscar, but
also win it.
CAROLINE: And now that you've seen it?
RYAN: It's causing me confusion for the whole year of film.
 CAROLINE: [laughs] Well, I thought it was good, but not the best film of the year.
RYAN: That's exactly what I'm saying. So what is the best film of the year?
 CAROLINE:
Ahhh, I see your point. This was definitely one of the most highly
anticipated films this year, but I was starting to wonder if it could
live up to all the expectations. And and two hours and forty minutes,
it's a lot to swallow.
RYAN: Anatomy of a film: "The
Curious Case of Benjamin Button" - the performances are great and it's
beautifully shot, but it's way too slow. I was equal parts riveted and
bored. So at the end of the day, I think it's a draw.
CAROLINE: I'm inclined to agree. There's a whole section with Tilda Swinton that could have been cut way down. I actually dozed.
RYAN:
Here's where you lost me because I loved that story line. I thought
Tilda was amazing in an interesting role that had a big impact on Brad
Pitt's character. And that's what the movie was ultimately about; how
people affect Benjamin Button's life. It was a quiet performance from
Brad in which he does a lot more reacting than acting.
 CAROLINE:
Can somebody please teach him how to do a proper Southern accent? I was
cringing at times. He would say "poi-fect" instead of "perfect," and it
was so odd. RYAN: [laughs] Yeah, I kinda noticed.
CAROLINE: Also, you have to wait well over an hour to see him in all his Brad Pitt-ian glory. Boyfriend is looking good.
RYAN:
It's a credit to how great the special effects makeup is that when he
finally looks so hot, it's a collective Oprah "Aha!" moment.
 CAROLINE: Cate Blanchett also looks fab, though totally airbrushed to look younger in some scenes and it was glaringly obvious.
RYAN:
She's also skinnier than I've ever seen her; it must have been shot
before she had her last baby. But she's still the greatest actress this
side of Meryl Streep.
CAROLINE: I loved the character of Queenie, who plays Brad Pitt's adoptive mom. She almost made me misty a few times.
RYAN:
Her name is Taraji P. Henson and she's a great actress. She gave a lot
of heart in some really emotional scenes. On the contrary, Julia Ormond
pretty much yanked me out of feeling any emotion in her scenes. I just
didn't buy her as the grown-up daughter of Cate Blanchett.
 CAROLINE:
Yeah, I didn't love how the movie was framed by present-day scenes.
It's a gimmick used in "The Notebook" and "Titanic" and others, and I'm
over it.
---BOTTOM LINE---
RYAN:
It's a beautiful movie that's too long and ultimately predictable. But
it's very moving and has effects that warrant a big screen viewing; so
I recommend that. But it's not a must-see.
CAROLINE:
It's definitely the holiday movie of the year in that both young and
old can enjoy it. It's not phenomenal, but it's good and very well
made. The whole aging backwards premise is pretty fascinating if you
really think about. It's based on an F. Scott Fitzgerald short story -
good work, F. Scott.
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