Of all of Fincher's films, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is clearly his most emotional work to date.The story follows the life of one Benjamin Button - a man whose birth was both a miracle and disaster. He was mysterious born as an old man and soon discovers that he's aging backwards. The movie follows his life as he comes across new adventures and experiences along with the challenges of being different from everyone around him.
The story is loosely adapted from F. Scott Fitzgerald's short story of the same name. I say loosely because although the concept of a man aging backwards is used, almost everything else was changed. Not a bad thing at all - I was wondering how they were going to expand a 14 page story into a nearly 3 hour film (I'm still meaning to write a review on his short stories book).
Brad Pitt and David Fincher together is just money. They've had many successes in the past with Se7en, Fight Club, and now with Benjamin Button. There is a chemistry between the actor and director in this pairing that just works.
Cate Blanchett plays the love interest to Brad Pitt's Benjamin. There are few women in Hollywood who evoke elegance and beauty the way that Cate does... that on top of her accomplished acting experience (Nicole Kidman also comes to mind).
The movie is well done in terms of all the effects, sets, costumes and music to create the atmospheres of the past. The storytelling itself is also quite moving. It was kind of funny near the end during a sequence of scenes that are quite sad and weepy. During the moments of silence we could hear all the women in the theater sobbing. I whispered this to my sister and brother, and all three of us laughed quietly. Yes... we're dicks.
Of my three favourite Fincher movies, I'd have to rank Button second to Se7en but ahead of Zodiac.
Check it out if you can, it's quite an intriguing movie. Later geeks.
Comments