AMB Reviews

The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button: 9/10 Stars

Release Date: December 25, 2008

Content Advisory: Rated PG-13 for brief war violence, sexual content, language and smoking. A ship during war is hit with cannons, and a man is seen with a blood soaked shirt. Two f-words. Two men go to a brothel, where we briefly see one of them under the covers with a woman (no nudity). A couple has sex on numerous occasions, though each time is quick (also with no nudity). Several people smoke.

Review:

Though this film came out last Christmas, I really had no desire to see it until several nights ago. It was nominated for several Academy Awards, and after all of the hype, I went out with my friend to view it in the local cheap theater. I'm sort of a sucker for the Oscars...

In Short:

The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button won an Oscar for best make-up. I have to say, I'll give them props for that. They definitely deserved the award. How they were able to make Brad Pitt look like a 60-year-old man one minute and a 17-year-old teenager the next is beyond me. That being said, I found the overall movie a success, with much to think about. It's certainly a thought-provoking movie, dealing with the topic of a man who ages backwards. It's an original idea, and with great acting from both Pitt and Blanchett, I found it a long, yet surprisingly grand movie.

In Full:

The story of the movie is simple. A baby is born and left on the steps of Ms. Queenie's house (played wonderfully by Taraji P. Henson). Taking him in as an orphan, Queenie soon finds out that something is wrong with the baby... he looks like a 100-year-old man. Thinking he will die soon, she waits, only to find out that he doesn't. And she continues to raise him. But each year, he gets a little bit younger. Soon, he meets the young Daisy, who, though looks much younger than him, is really about the same age as him on the inside. Benjamin moves out at 18, looking more like a 60-year-old, and the film basically documents his adventures, from meeting Daisy again, to their unsual romance, to a war at sea, and to many, many instances that are sure to make you think.

The acting simply added to the original storyline. Having not seen too much of Brad Pitt or Cate Blanchett's acting, I was surprised at how well they each did. Pitt was even nominated for an Oscar for his work in the film. I don't know if I would consider it "Oscar-worthy," but it was most certainly impressive. Blanchett was also able to play Daisy nicely, with a spunky and very lively personality. The cast was rounded out nicely with Taraji P. Henson playing Queenie (this gained her an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress). Overall, the acting is just another one of the movie's pros.

Speaking of pros... I must also fit the visuals into that category as well. Besides from doing an awesome job with the make-up (heck, they could make Brad Pitt look 60!), I also found the one war scene nicely done too. I didn't really expect an action movie, so I was a bit surprised when Benjamin experiences war out at sea, but the pouring rain, raging cannons, and constant gunfire all seemed realistic enough to me, and so for that, I can't really complain about the visuals. They were all nicely done and you just have to see the make-up to believe it. At first, I was a little angry that "The Dark Knight" didn't win the award for make-up, but after viewing this film, I completely understand.

One of the cons, I would have to say, would be the film's length. The film went on for almost three hours, clocking in at 2 hours, 48 minutes. It didn't really feel like all of that time, and the movie still retained my interest throughout, but I do think that it could've been shortened a tad. Heck, by the the time the film is over, 1/8 of the day is already gone! I also found the sex in the film a bit over the top. I know that Benjamin and Daisy are very passionate about each other, but showing them having sex on the beach, in their house, in bed, on a mattress, was a bit overdone. I would've liked to see more progression in the film. Those scenes didn't add much.

Overall, despite the minor drawbacks I mentioned above, The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button is a truly unique film. It tells one of the most complicated love stories ever to exist. In one scene, Daisy asks Ben, "Will you still love me when my skin is old and saggy?" He replies, "Will you still love me when I have acne, wet the bed and am afraid of what's under the stairs?" It can get pretty confusing at times, but I think that was what they were aiming for. It's a complex, intricate and truly amazing film, telling an original and unique story that really deserved all of its Oscar nominations.