The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

“You can be mad as a mad dog at the way things went; you can swear and curse the fates - but when it comes to the end, you have to let go.”


Going backwards in age doesn’t always mean going backwards in wisdom


It has long been the front runner for Best Picture until recent weeks. I got my ticket hours early, anticipating the packed theatre. And, I was right; it was packed. At nearly 3 hours in length, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was set to be epic.
Based on the story by F Scott Fitzgerald, the film narrates the life of Benjamin Button, born with a condition by which he ages backwards. He experiences life differently, and interacts with his surroundings differently. Brad Pitt glows on screen as Benjamin Button, and, not for the first time in her career, the film was, largely, held together by Cate Blanchett, who can do no wrong when it comes to acting.
This film accomplishes many things. First, it effectively narrates a bird’s eye view of American social context throughout the course of the 20th Century, while at the same time narrating the story of a man born with a condition that sets him outside virtually all of these contexts. Maybe more important for the viewer, however, it tells a story of not just one person, but two people, and the love that develops, complicates, and endures, despite wrongdoings over the years. Director David Fincher managed to make this utterly impossible story feel so real and hit home. I endorse any future nomination the Academy might throw at him for best director.
Although this film was beautifully made, I found it to be a bit long; I think an equal effect could have been achieved if the film were thirty minutes shorter. Some might find it hard to get the full effect of such a beautiful film when it is that long, and you are aching in your seat in the cinema. The length of the film, in short, significantly subtracted from the value of the film.
Benjamin Button is very wise, curiously wise. Although it is his curious case, some of his lines were a bit forced, maybe even clichéd. It almost seemed like Forest Gump was trying to fit through the door. Thank God he didn’t wholly succeed on that.
Despite the shortcomings, the film was well done and very touching. I was satisfied, and I would recommend the film. I give it a B+.