“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” is nothing short of an all-American cinematic epic, or at least that’s the image it has created. Inspired by an F. Scott Fitzgerald story, written by Eric Roth (“Forrest Gump”), directed by David Fincher (“Fight Club”) and starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, “Benjamin Button” is the hypothetical epitome of Hollywood drama, making it the presumptive contender for the Oscar Best Picture as well as for several other nominations. So why did the three-hour film boasting Hollywood bigwigs and raving critical acclaim leave me utterly indifferent.
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” spans more than 80 years, highlighting essential points in American history, ending with Hurricane Katrina. A young woman narrates the pages of an unusual diary her hospitalized mother has asked her to read. The film is in similar format as “The Notebook,” a life story reflected upon through the eyes of a lover. The diary the daughter reads is that of Benjamin Button (Brad Pitt), a man born with the physical age of a man in his 80s but the mind and heart of a young child. His shocking appearance results in his father (Jason Flemyng) orphaning him. He is then taken under the care of a loving nursing home attendant, Queenie (Taraji P. Henson). It is at that nursing home where he falls in love with Daisy (Cate Blanchett).
From this point, “Benjamin Button” begins a love that evolves into a romance known to bring female audience members, and a few rare male ones, to sobs. It is the tale of a true love deeper than that depicted in the clich? romantic comedies. It leaves hope that even if you cannot be with the one you love, there is an unbreakable bond that surpasses age and physical distance, that even if you are no longer in a relationship and your love is with someone else, there is still hope. The future is uncertain and the possibility of reuniting is just that — a possibility. The film is fantastical, and many people never get a glimpse of the type of passion portrayed by Pitt and Blanchett, but to experience the sight of such deep emotion on the screen is enlightening and poignant. The chemistry between Blanchett and Pitt is nothing to match the DiCaprio/Winslet magnificence, but it is convincing and charming resulting in the audience reaction of head tilts and sighs.
It is the ability of “Benjamin Button” to avoid distasteful and obnoxious dialogue that distinguishes it from similarly structured films such as “The Notebook.” Beyond this, the romance aspect was not as truly unique and moving as everyone has claimed. To focus exclusively on the love story only discredits the originality of the film. True, it was a beautiful romance, but it was not especially unique apart from the creepiness of an 80-year-old man sneaking around with a 5-year-old girl under tables in the middle of the night. The scene may be meant to emphasize Button’s innocence, but it seems unnecessarily disturbing. Imagine visiting your grandmother at the nursing home and having one of her male friends wake you up in the middle of the night to “play.” Years of therapy are more likely to result than a love interest.
Although the explosions do not match that of “The Dark Knight,” special affects and makeup are what make “Benjamin Button” an impressive, creative production. The computer imaging accurately ages Pitt at 40 years then reverses, creating a teenage version of him. Pitt’s versatility as an actor matches the technological precision to create a captivating, believable depiction of the character at every age. It is the story of Button himself that fascinates. To watch a man experience love for the first time physically at the age of 80 and then chose to leave it all behind as a teenager is intriguing. It questions what defines age, a rather ambiguous inquisition.
With all the hype surrounding “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” excellence is expected. Unfortunately, it falls short of brilliant and levels out at good. Expect to see a classic romance with the twist of Button’s condition of aging backwards as the only real fuel of the plot. It is for lack of surprises that many audience members complain of the length, but there is much to appreciate in those three hours.
3 stars out of 5.
