The Curious Case of Bradley's Pitt (The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button (DVD))

Member Name: JJJJ

Product:	The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button (DVD)
Date:	28/09/09 (134 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great Cinematography

Disadvantages: The 'aged' Cate Blanchett

Benjamin Button is no ordinary baby - in fact, Benjamin Button's life is running in reverse. Born a wrinkly and decrepit old (yet baby sized) man, it's Button's misfortune to 'grow young' - but where will this unusual transition end, and what effect will it have on those around him?

When his mother dies during childbirth, Button (Brad Pitt) is abandoned by his father, and left on the doorstep of an old people's home. The manager 'Queenie' (Taraji P. Henson) takes in the unusual child, rearing him as her own, and it's in these new surroundings that Benjamin meets and begins a lifelong fascination with a young girl named Daisy (played by Madisen Beaty and later Cate Blanchett).

The film (narrated by Pitt), tells the story of Button's life, ranging from his early 'childhood', through to his time spent fighting in the Second World War, and finally back to his 'early / late' years and his continual pursuit of Daisy - confused? well, it's certainly easier to understand on-screen than my synopsis would suggest!

Benjamin's story is a visually impressive one, and the cinematography throughout the film is of a high standard - there are a plethora of beautifully framed shots which are frequently dreamlike and ethereal, conveying the passage of time with a stylish elegance. Most impressive however are the make-up and CGI effects, which for a vast chunk of the movie's duration, allow Brad Pitt to appear as an old man. That's not to say that all the effects are entirely convincing, and one example of this is when the aged Daisy is shown on her deathbed in a New Orleans hospital - here, Cate Blanchett's make-up looks unauthentic, and her voice is grating and hard to decipher.

Benjamin Button shares more than a passing similarity to 'Forrest Gump' both in terms of its style of narrative and general pace. This is more than likely to be due to the fact that both movies share the same screenwriter Eric Roth. Occasionally, it does seem like the film is trying too hard to emulate the magic that Forrest Gump had, and one particular scene (with the hummingbird at sea) seemed a little out of place, and was a little too far fetched.

When you put Brad Pitt's impressive make-up aside, his performance is solid rather than exceptional, and although he's the title character, Pitt actually has a rather low key role. As a fairly calm and level headed individual, the character of Benjamin Button doesn't really have to express a range of emotions, and because of this, Pitt has no need to overly exercise his dramatic abilities.

Cate Blanchett is very good indeed, and she manages to portray the occasional selfish, but life-loving Daisy in a seemingly authentic and heartfelt manner. Her chemistry with Pitt is decent too, and as a whole, both lead roles are pretty much spot-on.

Although it's an interesting tale featuring some genuinely moving moments, on the whole, I found The Curious Case of Benjamin Button to be anti-climatic, and lacking a clarity of direction which results in a series of overlong sequences. I was also little disappointed with the ending which was in no way as clever as it should have been. That said, there are enough charming and heartwarming moments to keep most viewers entertained, and overall, the filmmakers have done a decent job in bringing a challenging piece to the big screen - certainly a bold effort.

Lead Roles
- - - - - - -
Cate Blanchett - Daisy
Julia Ormond - Caroline
Faune A. Chambers - Dorothy Baker
Elias Koteas - Monsieur Gateau
Donna DuPlantier - Blanche Devereux
Jacob Tolano - Martin Gateau (as Jacob Wood)
Jason Flemyng - Thomas Button

You can currently purchase The Curious Case of Benjamin Button on DVD for £6.88 from Amazon.

Summary: Curious indeed