A life well spent.

Rating: 10/10 (2 April 2009)

My Take: A sweeping, touching and honestly tear-jerking fable. A future classic?
The great Mark Twain once remarked that "the best part of life was from the beginning and the worst part was the end". This was soon the inspiration of writer F. Scott Fitzgerald for his short story THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON (which was then retooled by screenwriter Eric Roth for this brilliant screen adaptation), which took Twain's remark as an inspiration, then it contrasts it. Instead of living life from young to old, Fitzgerald questioned what would life be when lived by a man who aged backwards, having it the other way around. What would life be if, while this man was born as an old man then aged backwards into a younger being, all his loved ones aged until their untimely death arrives? And most of all, how would he feel when he slowly witnesses his loved ones grow old and die in front of his very eyes as he slowly ages in reverse? This is the strange alternate reality (the "curious case", if you may) of Benjamin Button (Brad Pitt), who was strangely born as an old man, abandoned by his grief-stricken father (Jason Flemyng) and adopted by a nurse in an retirement home (Taraji P. Henson), where he slowly ages from a strangely deformed old man that resembles a gnome to a young, handsome man, then younger. But the in-between moments is what really matters in this "curious case", where our odd companion Benjamin discovers love in the eyes of the charming Daisy (Cate Blanchett), experiences pain in plight of the tragic death of his loved ones and basically, life itself as joyous and unpredictable, and spending every moment of it while it lasts.
It's hard not to feel a wee bit misty-eyed in such emotionally-powerful moments in the movies, especially if they are as sincere and honestly true-to-the-point as the ones in THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON, a life-affirming tale which is the best of its kind since Roth's own FORREST GUMP. First, I look at "THE CURIOUS CASE" as a technical accomplishment that it is. But "CURIOUS CASE" proves to be an even deeper experience as a movie. Long after I saw it, I wasn't simply remembering how beautifully detailed and eye-filling it was, I was recalling its message about life and love and how to live them. The excellent screenplay by Mr. Roth is that kind of material that stays with you long after the experience is over, and every bit of it is still dazzling long after the visual experience has gone. Testimonials such as "Your life is defined by its opportunities... even the ones you miss." or "We're meant to lose the people we love. How else would we know how important they are to us?" are such lines I won't soon forget long after seeing a movie. THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON is a curious case indeed, a movie unlike any movie I have ever seen before, at least in this season so far or for a very long time.
It's imperfect to be sure. It's a cover-to-cover telling and Roth doesn't afford to leave any remaining details behind, making this the 166 minute long experience that it is. The mid-section is especially long, as well as a few moments earlier that prolong this already long affair even more. But "CURIOUS CASE" is that kind of movie that has to be loved, a strong an unique story, that must be judged by the sum of its parts. And to put it lightly, the thing that need to be perfect, are. The performances from the stellar talents meet the intelligence and grace of the characters they portray (especially watchable is Pitt in his age-changing performance as Benjamin and Taraji Henson in her breakthrough role as Benjamin's foster mother Queenie). David Fincher has led a successful career as a director in years, and with "CURIOUS CASE", he never lets his successful career astray. He might not have done anything with the slightly overlong run time or the sometimes sedate pace, but he does bring the movie to life on screen, which is all that this tale needs. The special effects and fine make-up job are put to such good purpose that they blend seamlessly into the background. The movie feels and looks like the technical accomplishment that it is and never for once feel like another dazzling special effects movie. Now that's special effects for a very special movie. THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON may be flawed, but it has earned its place in Hollywood history, or if not, it will leave a mark in future major Hollywood efforts that it's not enough that you have a great story to work with (that's a surefire to attract the folks at the Oscars), but that's it's just as important to have a great storyteller who knows how to put it all together on screen. And with THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON, Fincher proves he is.
Rating: ***** out of 5.