This movie is too long.

Rating: 6/10 (13 February 2010)

I liked the movie's production values. The acting is wonderful. The story, while a bit labored at times due to its antiquity, is well adapted.
But this movie is way too long. It doesn't take 2 hours and 46 minutes to tell this gimmicky story, and using that much time to tell it is a conceit.
Brad Pitt excels as Benjamin Button, showing his range as an actor. Though it should have been clear some time ago that he is more than a pretty boy, this movie erased all doubt in my mind. He shows an economy of emotion that fits the simplicity of the character, and that is well judged.
Cate Blanchett is one of my favorite actresses because she seems to become the role. She seems to subordinate herself to the role so well that she becomes faceless. This is the trick of a magician, because her face is actually quite memorable.
Nonetheless, this movie is too damn long and the concept too bizarre. If it were not for that, I would give it 9 stars, as the directing, acting, and photography are first-rate.