From wondreful to terrible in only 2 1/2 hours. Just add water.

Rating: 4/10 (31 January 2009)

I had mixed feelings going into watching this film. I had read bad reviews by critics, both "professional" and IMDb peoples. I had also read some good reviews and seen the '8.7' overall vote on IMDb.
The previews alone shown a wonderfully filmed movie. But beyond that, I wondered what a story of a man growing young could really be about? What substance was this film made of? The answer made me cry...and not in a good way.
I'm going to make this quick: the first 1/3 of the film is wonderful in its honest, somewhat magical tale of a baby born old, raided by a couple who watch over old people in their dying years, Benjamin relating to their deaths, growing fond of a young girl his age. Here the artistry and visual style are magnificent with just the right touch to give the tale a magical "fable" like quality.
And then Benjamin, at 17 in real years, looking and feeling as a 60 year old, sets off into the world, to experience life. But we ask, why? There's no real motive, no overall "pull" to his journey, somewhat pointless, yet entertaining...after all, it's his journey. But, from here on out the film starts to slip...it's still entertaining for another 1/3, or middle act, but we the audience have no idea where we're being taken, and by the last 1/3 of the film, it seems that the writers didn't either.
The last 1/3 is sheer awful drek. It really is like watching a train fly off a cliff. This film didn't know where it was going and it was very plain. Thematic dialogue happens far too late in the film, our protagonist, Button, makes decisions that have no precident, we the audience don't really know why. The magic of the beginning is completely gone...completely abandoned. Lost.
I will say this. The cinematography reminded me of Raging Bull in that many different styles and shots were used, different visual techniques that are just a wonder to watch. But in the end, the camera-work is not enough to save this film.
It's a shame, because I thoroughly enjoyed the first half of this film. By the end I was literally, laughing/crying at every expositive and pointless word coming out of Pitt and Blanchett's mouths.
Kudos to Pitt and Blanchett for giving solid performances, but alas, all for naught.
The only reason this film is up for best picture in the Acadamy Awards is because this is the only "popular" movie that was half decent, whereas the rest of the nominees, all excellent in their own right, were not nearly as popular, and more 'cinema' than just 'entertianment'.
I would normally give this film a 6 out of 10, but the sites 8.7 has led me to take the stance of a 'hater' and drop a phat uno on this one to try to average it out. I don't like doing this, but the writers of this script have forced my mouse-click.
Please, watch the first half, then save yourself from the torment of the second.