The Stolen Idea of Benjamin Button.

An attorney representing an Italian office worker has filed legal papers alleging that the screenplay for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was based on a story she wrote in 1994.

Adriana Pichini, a Roman office worker, said the film is coined from her story,  “Il ritorno di Arthur all’innocenza” (Arthur’s Return to Innocence).

David Fincher‘s film sees Brad Pitt in the main role of Benjamin Button, a  man born with a rare illness that makes him age backwards.

WATCH THE PREMIER OF THE FILM

Though the story was never published, it was officially registered with the proper Italian copyright authorities in 1994 .

According to Gianni Massaro, Pichini’s lawyer, a file was opened with the Rome Tribunal Court. A judge will therefore watch the film and read the story to determine if there are enough similarities to launch an investigation.

Massaro, a fixture in the Italian cinema industry and a former president of the Italian audiovisual association ANICA, said in an interview that he is not sure if Pichini will seek financial damages against Fincher, screenwriter Eric Roth and the film’s producers.

As reported by Reuteurs agency Massaro said, “At this point it’s still a matter of principle.” 

It is not clear what authority an Italian court would have in this case, though Massaro noted that the film’s producers, Hollywood studios Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures, both have Italian operations.

No timetable has been set for the judge’s viewing. The rest of Italy will be able to see the film when it goes into nationwide release February 13.

 

WALTZ WITH BASHIR: A NEW AGE OF ANIMATION.

By David Shoo

 

 

The film’s trailer gives it a dark “sin city” look.  The publicity photo of a lonesome man standing outside in the cold suggests it’s an inventive attempt to blend animation with classical film noir.

 

 

However, Ari Folman‘s animated “war-doc” exceeds our expectations. The impressive textures, sounds and overall plot makes Waltz with Bashir one of this years must-see films.

 

 

 

STORY

At just 19, Ari Folman did national service with the Israeli military forces. He would soon find himself at the centre of a massacre that till now remains one of the darkest points in middle-eastern relations.

 

 

After a meeting with an old army friend in the year 2006, Folman can’t stop dreaming about a peculiar battle he had in Beirut.

 

 

He finds himself questioning several friends, army-colleagues and psychiatrists to uncover the mysteries of the dream. Without any credible explanation, the troubled filmmaker is forced to question if the battle is a symbolic reference to the tragedies of the Sabra and Shatila massacre.

 

 

Unlike Pixar‘s Cars and Wall-E, Waltz with Bashir proves that animations don’t need to be querky or slapstick. The stunning photography effectively conveys a dark but thrilling moment in the Lebanese-Israeli conflict.

 

 

Folman courageously secludes himself from the mainstream by abandoning a conventional storyline. You can forget that this is the year’s best animation (which quite frankly it is) and appreciate it as a genuine cinematic masterpiece.

 

Manic Method Acting

By David Shoo

Daniel-Day Lewis learned to paint with his foot, Robert DeNiro became disturbingly overweight. Now, Oscar-winning actor, Jamie Foxx has taken method acting to a new level by chiseling his teeth for his new movie, The Soloist.

 

Without a doubt, method acting has been a subject of great discussion throughout the years in the movie industry.

 

A number of actors have gone to great and probably lengths to bring out their character on screen. Foxx explained in an with Maxim Magazine:

 

“Something angelic happens and you actual become that person.”

 

 

Yes, in order to portray the schizophrenic musician Nathaniel Ayers, the actor found it necessary to damage his perfect dentures.

 

 

Watch the Trailer for the Soloist

 

Oscar-calling?

Some actors go to such ludicrous lengths in order to be acknowledged by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

 

 

Foxx himself won an Academy Award after blinding himself with prosthetic eyes when filming the critically appraised Ray. Looks, like he wont be smiling if he is to step up to the podium with the golden man in his hand.