The curious case of this film.

Rating: 5/10 (2 April 2009)

Take an incredibly talented director; add two of Hollywood's best stars. Mix in some of the usual breath-taking CG (you know, the really good sort that you can't tell it's CG). Add an interesting and intriguing idea. Stir it with a huge budget. And what do you get?
160 odd minutes of slow, plodding, boredom.
I'm sure you already know the story. Baby is born looking like an old man. This baby – Benjamin, has a body that grows younger, but a mind that grows older. Just think of where you could take such a story idea! Then forget it all as this film does a poor job of exploring any of it. Instead we are subjected to a few clichéd story lines that never really seem convincing. There are some funny parts, but they are few and far between. The serious scenes seemed to be too 'set' to be effective. A pity, because it could have been so much better.
Now, I like long films – Das Boat, Seven Samurai, 2001 – but they have to have the structure and content to work. There needs to be a plot line to carry the film along. You need to care about the characters enough to sit there for 3 hours. This film, simply does not have what it takes.
Just another example of Hollywood missing the target.