THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

Excuse me while I gather my thoughts.

I haven't seen a film that played with time so consciously and effectively since MEMENTO. And the last wide-released film that addressed the differences and similarities between death and living this directly was probably...what, MEET JOE BLACK? The latter starred Brad Pitt. The former starred an Aussie. Brad Pitt and an Aussie (Cate Blanchett) co-star in THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON. Curious? It is indeed.

I'm convinced David Fincher's cinematic eloquence is unfettered--as long as he's working with Brad Pitt. Ordinarily, I might scoff at any director who would choose Brad Pitt as his muse--I mean, I like a pretty painting, too, but I wouldn't tell it to drive me to work every morning--but in this union, Fincher has found magic. His best films, SE7EN and FIGHT CLUB, both star Brad "Pretty as a Painting" Pitt, and they aren't the worse for it. So it is with THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON, an epic among epics that has taken decades to finally reach the screen. Well, I'm certain no better hands could have molded it. The writing is superb, the cinematography, make-up and special effects are really excellent, and though it runs a little long, it's a beautiful mystery to watch.

The central theme, obviously, is life. Life and its cohort, Death. As Benjamin Button ages backwards, from old man to child, he learns how to live in reverse, learning the hardest lessons first, and achieving a type of gravity and wisdom that most old people only pretend to have. His only real anchor in the present is his childhood (grandpa-hood?) love, Daisy, played by Blanchett. In the film's presentation of Life and Death--and History--the film is sad without being depressing; melodramatic without being weak; supernatural without being overly fantastic. BENJAMIN BUTTON is also extremely historical--set in Louisiana, it encompasses everything from World War II to Hurricane Katrina. It's balanced like a scale, with Art on one side and Story on the other, and neither is compromised for the other. It's like falling into a dream.

If you can't tell, I liked it.

But my emotional connection to seeing Brad Pitt age backwards to circa LEGENDS OF THE FALL (hubba hubba) won't stand in the way of critique. Like I said--at 2hr39, the film is TITANIC-ally long. I didn't get bored or feel the stress of it, but there were some scenes that could have been cut. Plus, a few characters probably didn't get the treatment they deserved, what with cameramen trying to keep all eyes on Brad Pitt a la TROY. All that did was make me see how little he did besides look good.

And there you have it: what's really curious about Benjamin Button is that the actor who played the title character, Brad Pitt, was nominated for a Golden Globe but his radiant costar, Cate Blanchett, got nothing. I hope the Oscars will see things differently. Brad is a pretty painting, but if it wasn't for David Fincher, he wouldn't have been a make-or-break casting decision for this film. Then again, I do honestly believe that David Fincher couldn't have done it without him. So maybe some kudos are in order.

plot: Man un-ages, falls in love.
thought: Boys II Men? Make that Man II Boy.
in five: 4/5

live the dream!: http://www.benjaminbutton.com/