The Curious Case of Benjamin Button may seem like a mixture of The Notebook meets Big Fish, but this movie directed by David Fincher, and adapted from the book by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is a tale all of its own.
Clocking in around 2 hours and 47 minutes, Button tells the story of Benjamin (Brad Pitt), a man who is born old and ages backwards. Born a fragile, old man, he dies a small infant. While aging backwards, Benjamin meets a young girl named Daisy whose feelings for Benjamin are more than apparent. Later in his life, he finds an older Daisy (played by the beautiful and stunning Cate Blanchett) and they romantically get involved.
This movie is curious indeed--and in the good way. The film leaves you wondering about so many things such as 'how did this happen?' or 'this would never occur in real life.' But worrying about such things takes away from the movie's magic. Instead, you should focus on the glory of the magic of the great performances of Pitt, Blanchett, Tilda Swinton, and Taraji P. Henson. All deliver Oscar worthy performances and leave a Wow-factor. Henson, playing Queenie, cares for Benjamin like a mother and comes off truly believable as one would during the time period. It isn't until Benjamin leaves for Russia where he meets Swinton's character and they begin an affair. This may be Swinton's best work.
For a movie as long as it is, one will not find themselves looking at their watch, at least not in the two times I saw it. You will simply want to see this movie on life, romance and death again and again. Pay to see it? Yes. Should you see it again? You'll enjoy it even more if you do. Just don't forget the Kleenex.
I will agree with you on this one. We saw it yesterday and not once did I think about time (even though the usher adviced us to "ration your drinks").
ReplyDeleteThe story was well written. I loved how Benjamin's early life was appropriate to his condition at the time and how that early life affected his outlook throughout his life.
The makeup effects were amazing - definately Oscar-worthy. The old age effects for Pitt, Blanchet and Swinton were perfect. The young effects on Pitt made him look like the Pitt who first appeared in "Thelma and Louise."
The performances are solid, especially among the main cast. Pitt is anything but a pretty face in this film. Blanchett is stunning as always. Swinton is solid. The stand out performance for me was Henson. I feel in love with Queenie from the moment she walked on the screen. She was a strong woman. She was the epitome of every black woman in my early life. She was a no-nonsense, caring woman full of faith and love. She was the type of woman who commands respect by just walking in a room.
Would I pay to see this again? Absolutely. I'm already considering seeing it again.