Review: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Brad Pitt's Backwards-Aging Drama is a Bit of a Downer
Dec 26, 2008
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button aims to tug at every viewer’s heartstrings with its overly sentimental story of a man who was born old and spends his life growing young.
While watching Brad Pitt age backwards from a wheelchair-bound old man to a stumbling youth in just under three hours is pretty intriguing, those who don’t want to sit through the end credits feeling empty inside may want to just watch the DVD of Pitt's recent flick Burn After Reading followed by his scenes from Thelma & Louise to get a similar effect.
This is a giant step away from director David Fincher’s previous work. There aren’t any serial killers or madmen running about in this one (see Zodiac, Se7en, Panic Room, etc.). In fact, the only thing criminal about Benjamin Button is how the film feels blatantly tailored for Best Picture.
Benjamin Button Feels Oddly Familiar
It’s three parts Forrest Gump and one part Titanic minus the ship – well, there is a tug boat if that counts – and it all adds up to a 160 minute opus that is too sweet and all too familiar.
Familiarity isn’t necessarily a bad thing here. Certainly the parallels are noticeable, but there is the peculiar story of a man aging backwards that adds uniqueness to the story. The strange thing about Benjamin Button is that the younger he gets, the less interesting the film becomes.
The audience should be anticipating the moment when Benjamin and the love of his life Daisy are the same age and can finally be together, but once they fall into each other’s arms it becomes clear how dull they are together.
This Brad Pitt Film is a Bit of a Downer
Or maybe it’s just that by this time Brad Pitt’s repetitive narration has taken its toll on the viewer. One can only listen for so long as his character points out that “nothing lasts” and how everyone is just on a long curvy road to the grave before the story takes a backseat to how bleak our everyday lives really are.
While Pitt’s Benjamin goes on and on about how everyone needs to make the most of their lives, all the people he has loved in his life are dying on screen. Thankfully, most of the side characters are too distant or uninteresting to grow fond of before they exit this world, so their departures don’t make much of an impact.
But when Benjamin grows so old – or rather, young – that his time has almost come, it’s tough to fight back all emotion. After spending over eight decades together, he’s like a lifelong friend by this point. It’s hard to see him go, but like the hummingbird ever present in the film, in a blink he is gone and the movie is over.
It certainly is a touching film, and Brad Pitt’s subtle performance is impressive, but there’s no denying that The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is also a drag.
Score: 6 out of 10
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