An epic masterpiece from David Fincher

“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
Starring: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Taraji P. Henson, Tilda Swinton, Julia Ormond
****/****

It’s hard to ask the brain for adjectives to describe this film. David Fincher has created a magical yet accessible story that will emotionally connect to all ages. Fincher, who is known for bleakly lit and toned films, has crafted another world on screen in which the characters live out their lives on a large canvas.

This film, which has been ,uch hyped in the past months, has holiday and family film written all over it. Much like “Forrest Gump,” in terms of scope, Button should garner the same amount of awards attention as well. The film uses cutting edge technology to portray Brad Pitt as an old man, we watch as he edges backwards through time, while everyone else grows older. As soon as Pitt is his recognizable self, we truly feel like this is his best performance; subtle, and heartbreaking all at once.

“Benjamin Button” is many things, it’s a fairy tale based plot in which the protagonist ages backwards through time, and it’s a timeless and classic love story. New Orleans, which is the primary setting for most of the film, is shown in great light and admiration, this film is a love letter to the city, and the people.


Most will have a hard time describing this film. It’s many things, but it doesn’t suffocate itself. Fincher doesn’t mix genres, or pull many narrative punches. He simply tells the tragic story of Benjamin Button, an orphan who is left at the step of a nursing home the day that World War 1 ends. He is taken in by a woman who runs the home. Queenie, played by Taraji P. Henson, is the definition of a loving mother, she watches over Benjamin like he is one of her own.

The film starts in a hospital, an old lady lays in her death bed. This character is Daisy, Benjamin’s love interest throughout the film. Julia Ormond plays her daughter Caroline. Daisy doesn’t have long too live; she gets Caroline to read an old diary to her in her final moments. The diary belongs to Benjamin Button, last dated 1985, this diary tells his story, one that Daisy feels obligated to tell.

Benjamin does indeed start off young, but in an old body. Most can’t understand his condition, making it difficult to connect with anyone. He eventually is introduced to Daisy (Blanchett), a young red-head who loves to dance, she finds Benjamin odd, but in a good way. We can tell their relationship will be on and off due to his condition. As Benjamin grows and begins to understand the world around him, he leaves home and works on a Tugboat with colorful characters, while promising to write Daisy from everywhere.

We watch as Benjamin grows, experiences, and enjoys the wonders and beauties of a somewhat normal life. The film mirrors “Forrest Gump,” in which the protagonist meets many people that shape his life. One of them is Elizabeth Abbot, played by Tilda Swinton. They meet at a hotel in Russia, Abbot is another person drawn to the nature of Benjamin. They have an affair and after a while Abbot disappears out of his life, we catch her later in the movie, in a moment in which only Benjamin could have inspired her.

As Benjamin continues to grow younger, Pitt’s good looks surface, making the audience even more surprised and aware of the great special effects throughout the film. Daisy once again enters his life, as the rest of the film is spent with the two trying to sort out their lives in order to stay together. Blanchett plays Daisy with such grace, creating a character that totally absorbs Benjamin throughout the film. Blanchett once again proves that she is the best actress of her generation.

As the film runs a long 167 minutes, my attention once wasn’t ever taken away from the grand and layered story being told. Eric Roth, who also wrote Forrest Gump, surrounds Benjamin with grief, love, death, regret, and hope; none of which seem forced or clichéd.

I could go on talking about how great this film is. Fincher’s direction combined with the CG, the set design, the acting, the story, it’s all grade A. The film will prove to be polarizing, unlike Gump, this story has a darker tone, one that Fincher never strays from.When awards season swings around, I hope Pitt, Blanchett, and Henson can grab some attention, they, along with others, mold this film into another caliber with their rich and nuanced performances.

David Fincher has proved that he is a groundbreaking film-maker. Along with a handful of others at the moment, Fincher‘s work from here on out would be a crime to miss.