STARRING: Brad Pitt (Babel, Fight Club, Ocean’s 11); Cate Blanchett (Babel, Indy 4, Elizabeth)DIRECTOR: David Fincher (Zodiac, Fight Club, Seven)
WRITER: Eric Roth (Forrest Gump, Munich, Good Shepherd)
PLOT: The life story of Benjamin Button, a man who is born old and ages backwards which creates some issues for his love life.
FIVE OBSERVATIONS
4 I’m a big fan of David Fincher movies. I love the way he tells stories and the beautifully dark way he shoots them. Fincher often films with a dark palette of grays and darker colours. He also peppers the narrative with mind-blowing visuals that enthrall the audience (Zodiac’s bridge scene, Fight Club’s Ikea scene, Panic Room’s through the coffeepot handle shot). Button is no exception. In fact, even the opening of the Warner Brothers logo is masterfully done with buttons.
4 It’s no shock that Benjamin Button gets compared to Forrest Gump. Eric Roth did write both screenplays. Both stories are also epic in scale. Button moves at a slower pace but the three hour running time is hardly noticeable. At least for me. The story is captivating and full of heart-breaking moments. There are also some great insights on the process of aging. I’m not sure if that’s thanks to Roth or F. Scott Fitzgerald, whose short story this film is based on.
4 I’ll be shocked if Benjamin Button doesn’t get an Oscar for make-up. Part of the fun in this film is seeing Brad Pitt get younger and younger. Through special effects, Pitt’s aged face was placed on a scrawny wrinkled body and it works surprisingly well. Near the end, Pitt actually looks twenty years younger than his present 45-year old mug (something that Milk had a hard time accomplishing with Sean Penn). The aging backwards and forwards is essential in this film, and the make-up crew does a fine job of making it seamless.
4 Of course, Brad Pitt does an amazing job as Benjamin Button. He plays the ages effectively and pulls you in almost instantly. His accent seems more pronounced at the end of the film, but may have just been me. Cate Blanchett also does great work, but the standout for me was Taraji P. Henson as Button’s adoptive mother, Queenie. She had the perfect mix of motherly love and sass.
4 There’s this great running gag about a guy who gets hit by lightning seven times. Funny stuff amidst all the heart-ache and drama. A welcome distraction.
RECOMMENDATION
See it in the theatres
(Go to the bathroom beforehand)
COMING SOON
Film reviews of Valkyrie, Doubt
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