Movie Review: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

It has often been said that youth is wasted on the young. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button shows us what it would be like if it weren't. The film follows a man named, of course, Benjamin Button (Brad Pitt), who was born with the body of an eighty-year-old man. He father, horrified, abandons him on the doorstep of a rest home for the elderly, where his adopted by Queenie (Taraji P. Henson), the caretaker. Benjamin is thought to have some unknown condition or disease, and the baffled doctors are sure he's dying. Miraculously, the child grows consistently healthier, and years later it becomes apparent that Benjamin is aging in reverse, becoming younger instead of older. While he is still a child, he meets a girl named Daisy (Cate Blanchett) who will soon become the love of his life. And this from there we follow the entire life of this extraordinary man as he tries to learn to live in a world were everyone's going in the opposite direction he is.

The Pros: When I first heard about this film, I was unbelievably excited. Not only did it have a genuinely talented cast, but it was directed by David Fincher (Se7en, Fight Club), and the screenplay was written by Eric Roth (Forrest Gump, Ali). Add the fact that it was a truly original idea, and you have a film that has the potential to be amazing. However, I probably set my hopes a little to high, because the film didn't quite live up to my expectations too high, because the film didn't quite live up to my expectations. Nonetheless, it was still a fantastic film. And to my surprise, the most impressive aspect was the script or the actors. It was the special effects. And I don't mean empty, flashy, George Lucas special effects. These are real, subtle but astounding, special effects. Many different methods have been used in the past to make actors appear older or younger, using both makeup and CGI, and they've evolved over the years. But never has the transformation been this seamless. You never have a clue how much is digitally-based, and how much is makeup. This film is truly a landmark in visual effects. We can only hope that X-Men Origins: Magneto does as well de-aging Ian McKellen.

Unlike Forrest Gump, however, this film is actually quite cynical. As we see Benjamin rise from the helplessness of old age, only to descend into infancy and forget his former life, the grim moral of the film becomes clear. As Cate Blanchett's character says, no matter what we all end up in diapers. But despite this cynicism, it still has sweet moments, and is regardless a well-crafted story.

The Cons: As good as the script is, ultimately, it falls short of the brilliance of Forrest Gump. I was surprisingly disappointed with the performance of Brad Pitt, who never managed to rise above adequate.

The End: Despite my minor disappointment, this is truly one of the best films of the year, and should definitely show up on a lot of top ten lists. It's not top five material, but it definitely worthy on the top ten, and definitely deserves a Oscar for visual effects and/or cinematography.

Overall, I give The Curious Case of Benjamin Button a Gold Anarchy Coin.

Click here to visit the official website for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

Movie Review: Gran Torino

Finally, it's finished. My review for Gran Torino is here, plus a little tribute to the man himself, Clint Eastwood.

(NOTE: I mistakenly refer to Clint Eastwood as a Vietnam Veteran in the review, and to the Asian characters as Vietnamese immigrants. It was only after the review was made and uploaded that I realized my mistake: he was a veteran of the Korean War, and the Asians were Hmong.)


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