The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
Well, the good news is we have a front runner for film of the year. Yup, I took the unusual step of actually going to see a film on a Saturday night, quite honestly I can’t remember the last time I did that as I prefer to avoid the slack jawed, popcorn shovelling masses that infect cinemas on weekend evenings. Well, I stand humbled gentle reader (and yes I am slightly exaggerating with implied snobbery) as despite a charming youth sitting next to me who was translating certain key dialogue of the film to his girlfriend throughout the screening ‘The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button‘ was an ideal, epic piece of solid celluloid joy that was a treat to see with a big audience whom I could sense were just as absorbed in the movie as me.
So who is this unusual chap? The film is structured around the hospital bed reminiscence of Daisy (Cate Blanchett), to her daughter Caroline (Julia Ormond) concerning her relationship with a man born under self proclaimed unusual circumstances, born on the day of the First World War armistice the infant Benjamin is abandoned on the steps of a care home by his grief stricken father whose wife died during the child’s problematic delivery. Compounding his grief is the baby’s hideous appearance, a freakish, wizened eighty five year old visage draped over the baby’s fragile frame. Adopted by the care home staff Button then leads a life in reverse, meeting Daisy at the age of seven or perhaps seventy depending on how you look at it, eventually embarking on his journey of life’s rich tapestry, fighting in World War 2, falling in love in Russia, returning to New Orleans to reunite with his family and capture the love of his life….
If you’re in the mood to be swept away, to be engulfed in a film that takes you out of your life for two and a half hours then this is the film you must see. The effects are outstanding as you’d expect from Fincher, they seamlessly blend in with the story in a fashion that does not deviate attention from the tale. Pitt is pretty good, I was unsurprisingly more enamoured by both Julia Ormond and an unexpected appearance by Tilda Swinton though as I didn’t know they were in the film due to my boycott of any publicity material. Blanchett is probably the unsung heroine of this production however, there is a genuine chemistry between her and Pitt which is essential as the films emotional core and main purpose gravitates around their lengthy relationship. There’s also an amusing running gag about getting hit by lightning. Look, trust me it’s funny OK?
One of my favourite books is ‘Winters Tale‘ and this is a film that strongly reminded me of the magical realist masterpiece, friends of mine who have also read the book will I hope take that as the very highest praise I’ve lavished for quite a while. There is a timeless, thaumaturgic and bewitching quality that is quietly harnessed with the films stately pacing and unobtrusive score. Like every one of Finchers film it looks absolutely terrific, deep chromatic blacks melding with the heavenly aura’s of the saints and sinners who cross Button’s path throughout his eventful life. There is also some lovely hand-cranked early cinema references throughout the first half of the film which is rewarding for us cinephile’s.
Despite one solitary look at the trailer I have managed to avoid all other reviews and comments on the film, it was therefore quite a shock to have a look through some opinions last night, it’s been quite a while since reviews have made me almost apoplectic with rage, the double whammy of Bradshaw’s evisceration of the film along with Kermode’s Radio 5 slating made me want to hurt something. I mean Jesus Christ I’m a cynical grump but making allegations that they only made Pitt be a certain age at one point in the movie so he could look cool when riding a motorbike is absurd. I’d heard the other allegation that because the film shares the same screenwriter it is little more than ‘Forrest Gump‘ with ‘A’ levels. Yeah, ’cause, you know god forbid anyone tries to make anything intelligent, anything cerebral. Everyone’s too stupid to understand a smart film eh? Finally, Bradshaws assertion that that the wholly innocent and innocuous friendship between Benjamin and Daisy when they are children is creepy speaks volumes about paeodphillia hysteria in this country, they are both seven or eight years for gods sake, they’re children!!! Just writing this has made my blood pressure explode. Grrr…..
It’s a deeply romantic film which never rationales its central fantastic conceit but does tackle the implications of Button’s unique condition, in its darkest moment Benjamin makes a heartbreaking decision which prompted a quiet sadness in the audience. You can take from the film what you will, a treatise on time and age? love and death? mortality and loss? It’s up to you. I particularly enjoyed the sense that we conclude our lives as we began, confused and scared, reliant on the kindness and selfishness of others. I don’t know about you but when it’s my time to exit planet earth I intend to go the same way I came into this world. That is to say naked and screaming. A-hem….
‘Button’ marks quite a change of direction for Fincher, moving away from the edgy and challenging thrillers that have assured his pedigree until now although it retains of course his love of experimentation and innovation. I think ‘Slumdog’ will sweep the Oscars but he may be in with a shout on a split vote for best director, he certainly deserves it more that Boyle. So, in my usual conclusion here is a collection of articles and clips of Fincher’s previous work, there has been a wealth of material on the background of ‘Alien III‘ floating around at the moment which you may also want to check out. I have to say the premise of the next project he’s considering does not appeal to me, given that he’s shot ‘Zodiac‘ and ‘Button‘ pretty much back to back perhaps he’ll have a sabbatical and reconsider. Good interview here, skip the first few paragraphs though as it does contain spoilers.
Minty's Menagerie 
Recent Comments