CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON: REVIEW
If
it were possible for me to give a film absolute full marks, this poignant story
would come very close. The journey of this unique and gentle character is enchanting.
Told through flashbacks, the shifts in time and reality as the movie unfolds is
captivating.
Born at the conclusion of World War 1, a very
frail and oddly shaped baby, Benjamin is rejected by his father and left on a
random doorstep. The drop point happens to be out the front of a retirement home
run by the vivacious Queenie of New Orleans. Taken immediately to the resident
doctor, his opinion is that the baby has only a slim chance of survival. The child,
as we come to learn quite dramatically, is resilient and lives on.
Once
grasped, the aging backwards process becomes a metaphor for turning back time,
a moment at the beginning of the film enhances this. Ben lifts his fragile bones
from a wheelchair for the first time at a wild church congregation setting in
motion a set of circumstances out of the ordinary for this strange little man.
A lonely elderly/young Button welcomes social outcasts and misfits into his life
before reuniting with his childhood love Daisy.
Grown up, they
cross paths again at an exact timeline of compatibility. They connect in a glorious
emotional flurry but the impending age gap looms. Messages of love become tragedy
- growing young is not the ideal situation one may think it is. However, the moment
when Cate Blanchett's eyes lock onto Mr. Pitt's, the bar is raised for an acting
tour de force. Thanks to state of the art digital technology, it becomes easy
to believe that star Brad Pitt is effortlessly decreasing in age. These two are
remarkable thespians at the peak of their abilities.
In one
of his more spritely adventures, Benjamin joins a tug boat crew, getting along
famously with his drunken captain, the pair take on a Nazi U-Boat in one of the
more thrilling scenes. Director David Fincher has worked wonders with Pitt before
in 'Seven' and cult favourite, 'Fight Club'. The trust in each other is obvious
from the outset. Holding back on too much sentimentality, Fincher avoids any Forrest
Gump semantics or comparisons.
In an almost perfect film, the
only flaw was Benjamin's sojourn with a bored wife of a diplomat (Tilda Swinton),
this love affair is meaningless but sweet, a filler before his Daisy reunion.
Superior period detail, solid characterisations and an ultra soft cinematography
brings this odd movie to the furore. His life is filled with amazing feats of
connection and bravery, never boring, but the long running time suits the mood
swings in this delicate story that is likely to be a best picture Oscar winner.
Based
on a short story by literary master F. Scott Fitzgerald, the script expands and
takes many liberties from his original idea. In the end, the film winds down to
a climax instead of building up to one. Brilliant filmmaking, fantastic musical
score and all round magnificent storytelling.
Shane
A. Bassett
