[grady]

I haven't seen the film since an early screening December 1st, but I do want to return to it. Looking at the film as simply a piece work in the context of how it was made (acting, cinematography, editing, production design, score, etc), it's incredible, but that is to be expected when going into a film made by David Fincher.

The film requires you to buy into the conceit of Pitt aging backwards, you do and your fine, you don't, and you're going to be unhappy.

Sure there are similarities to Forrest Gump and both films share the same screenwriter Eric Roth, but I would say it stops rather abruptly at that. The type of filmmaker that David Fincher has become surprised me while watching Button. He never fully engages the sentimentality that say Spielberg or Zemmicks might have done with this film, but keeps the it at an arm's lengths away. Some of this distance I think is attributed to the cyncism and cold nature of exhibited in his films, but also helps this particular film not move into the heart string tugging, emotional manipulation that a filmmaker could capitalize on with this film and story.

That said, after seeing Zodiac for the first time I wanted to watch it again immediately to the point of trying to get my friend to go thread the film up again and watch it back to back keeping us at the theater until 5am. With Button I didn't feel this compulsion to watch the film again immediately. Case in point, the film has been playing for over a week now and I haven't been back to visit it.

Most likely I will see it again this weekend but I don't think I will be seeing Button five times in the theater like I did with Zodiac.