This week was an exploration into the world of computer generated imagery, or CGI. CGI has taken Hollywood by storm since some of its first uses in the 90’s. Since then, producers like James Cameron have started their own companies devoted to pushing the boundaries of modern applications of CGI within feature-films. Both The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, as well as Avatar, both utilize CGI heavily throughout their runtime. However, that is not to take away from the rich plot both films contain. Both of these films took advantage of the technology of the moment, and were received very well upon initial release. Although not performing as well as Avatar in the award section, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a more timeless film that can be re-watched. The story itself is very unique, and Brad Pitt does an excellent job narrating and acting in his role. Avatar was a unique experiment by Cameron, of course he had the formula from previous successes, however Avatar was made to test out the true capabilities of his own CGI company. I feel that Avatars creation is unique in this way. Not every producer has the foresight to grow his own CGI company to be on of the best in the world, then use it later on to create a movie that would go on to win many awards. Looking back, the process over time which led to Avatars creation is quite spectacular. These films were smash hits at the box office, with Avatar raking in 2.79 Billion worldwide, and Benjamin Button pulling in 335 million respectively. Below you will find the trailers for both films :
The Curious Case of Pandora
2009 In the US was not the best year. Plagued by sticky governmental affairs and financial strain, the atmosphere among many Americans was tense to say the least on a day to day basis. Considering the country was in severe turmoil financially, and in the foreign affairs department. I believe The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button touched the hearts of many moviegoers who needed to be told a sad story with a happy ending. Brad Pitts performance stands out, and I feel that this is one of his most serious movies. Technology had of course come a long way since the turn of the century, and during 2009 we see technology being pushed to its limits, and sometimes failing like with the orbiting carbon observatory disaster. It was a huge gamble for Cameron, and he mentions in the interview above that he was trying to push boundaries at the time. His ultimate goal was to make a film that would out-do his competitors in CGI, and he took a big gamble on it. It was easy for him to do at the time because he was the CEO of the CGI company involved with Avatar, so luckily there wasn’t much convincing to be done. In retrospect however, this movie could have turned out to be a major flop and costing the studio millions upon millions of dollars.
The behind the scenes footage was the most interesting for both films as they relied so heavily on CGI. When viewing it, it almost makes the movie seem underwhelming as you realizing all of this crazy action is really just happening in a green room and the rest is “fake”. I personally believe that a film is a film, and if you use heavy CGI to make a good one then more power to you. Character development, and not taking the easy-route when it comes to jerking the audiences emotions really helped propel Benjamin Buttons popularity among fans. Furthermore, the plot of Avatar is much more invested than one might think seeing the trailer of the film. The conflict between the native avatar tribe and the human explorers is reminiscent of serious issues like the US treatment of Native Americans. Benjamin Button’s plot creates some deeper questions within the mind of the viewer, such as the true meaning of age, existence, and the legacy one leaves behind. Below, you will find some extra behind the scenes footage of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, which I believe definitely stands out as one of Brad Pitts best performances. One thing that should really be appreciated in both films is the amount of behind the scenes work that was put into some of the production. Hours of filming specific scenes, and of course makeup alone, made the filming process for each film grueling to say the least.
Reviewers like Roger Ebert gave Avatar many accolades, however a large part of the review relies on the success of Cameron’s CGI. I feel that without it though, you wouldn’t even have the film in the first place. Ebert states about Avatar specifically, “The film never uses 3-D simply because it has it, and doesn’t promiscuously violate the fourth wall. He also seems quite aware of 3-D’s weakness for dimming the picture, and even with a film set largely in interiors and a rain forest, there’s sufficient light.” This illustrates that although the film does utilize CGI heavily, there are certain hurdles that must be overcome to make a quality film. The fact that a fantasy film is based on the use of CGI should not cause it to lose merit, in retrospect, how many great fantasy films have not employed CGI for the most impressive scenes. While doing research for this post, I did encounter a review of Benjamin Button that stated it was simply Forrest Gump in reverse, and a very sheltered commentary on life and death. I feel that its important for people to realize that we come from all different walks of life, and the movies we see affect us differently based on our own personal experiences. Ultimately, it is safe to say that these films will both stand the test of time as they are both unique in very different ways. The final verdict on both films should, as always, be left to the individual viewer however it is safe to say these are both “winners’.