Director: David Fincher (Se7en, Fight Club, Zodiac)Cast: Brad Pitt (Troy, Babel, Ocean's Eleven), Cate Blanchett (The Aviator, Elizabeth), Julia Ormond (First Knight), Taraji P. Henson (Boston Legal), Tilda Swinton (Michael Clayton, The Chronicles of Narnia), Jason Flemyng, Jared Harris
The Deal: Benjamin Button (Pitt) was born under unusual circumstances, aging backwards through his life. His mother died giving birth and his father abandoned him, so he was raised in an old folks home by Queenie (Henson). There, he befriends Daisy (Blanchett), the granddaughter of one of the home's residents. Though they both go their separate ways in life (Benjamin travels the world), they always keep in touch, and when they finally meet again in their forties, their ages match physically, sparking a long-overdue romance. But as they grow older, Benjamin's age regresses mentally, and their relationship is stressed.
Thoughts: There are a lot of wonderful things about this film, but it is not perfect, and those issues do need to be addressed, but not quite yet. The make-up and visual effects crews on this film need tons of props. They did a wonderful and spellbinding job transforming Pitt into all ages of life, and the Oscars they won are very much deserved. The story is very original and moving, providing for a very interesting and enjoyable viewing experience. Having a character who physically looks the opposite of his actual age provides for a unique look into one's life and the relationships in it.
Pitt and Blanchett had nice chemistry throughout the film, and their performances together never felt forced. As his character traveled the world, Pitt did an excellent job capturing the emotions encountered as Benjamin discovered things in a fashion unlike any man or woman before him. Blanchett had the difficult task of trying to convey the uncertainty and confusion regarding her character's relationship with Benjamin, but she succeeded. Though I won't go through every role, I will state that Taraji P. Henson did a wonderful job as Benjamin's adoptive mother. She truly came across as very loving and blessed to be caring for Benjamin.
As good as the film was, there were two things that still bug me. I was quite disappointed in the manner at which Benjamin's aging was handled. When he was born, it was a baby's body, but one suffering from all the consequences of old age. As he grew up, those things slowly faded away into youth, as one would expect. My problem lies in how they handled his final years-- he shrunk. Instead of a full grown man suffering from childlike appearances and traits, his body grew back into a baby. I found this nonsensical despite his unusual circumstances, as it seemed to go against how his body functioned throughout life. The narration and story telling style of the film is an incredibly close match to that of Forrest Gump. That is in no way a bad thing, as it is a very enjoyable style, but I had hoped for more originality. Upon further research, I discovered that this is because the same man, Eric Roth, wrote both films. I like his style, but it made the two films too similar.
Verdict: A beautiful and moving story supported with very good performances. One of the year's strongest films, and is well worth the slightly long running time. ☆☆☆☆
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