Some things last

Rating: 9/10 (25 May 2009)

David Fincher's film that follows Benjamin Button (Brad Pitt), a man who was born in his 80s and continually grows younger, is one of three my favorite movies from last year along with Gran Torino and Synecdoche, New York. Now when I think of it, all three movies have in common the theme of aging, loss, memory, inevitable death and dealing with it. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is the most technically accomplished, refined, and cinematically stunning of the three. It is based on the F. Scott Fitzgerald's short and little known story but it only has in common with the story the title, the main idea, and I believe as a tribute to Fitzgerald's more famous work, the name of Benjamin Button's eternal love, Daisy who was played amazingly by Cate Blanchett. The story in the film is Eric Roth (Oscar nominated script) through and through and it is obvious that he used the same approach and the same device as in his Oscar winning script for Forrest Gump. Does it make BB a bad movie? Most definitely, no. Even if it easy to spot the similarities, BB is a fantastic movie on its own merits. It is a work of art for all its duration. It is a moving dramatic story of love, longing, and losses of one ordinary man with the extraordinary condition. Yes, the film is long and it does not rush. But the film of such beauty can and must be enjoyed even if or when the story would stall for a while. The performances, the virtuoso directing by David Fincher, the incredible flawless work by the teams of make-up artists, visual effects specialists, and by the specialists in Art Direction departments have surpassed any and all possible expectations and achieved an incredible result. According to my rule of thumb, any film with Cate Blanchett is worth watching. I've been her fan for years, and I love her as the actress and admire her as a person and the most beautiful woman in the world. Her work in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button with Brad Pitt belongs to the best screen romances ever and if anything, the film will be remembered for some of the most beautiful and memorable romantic scenes ever filmed. The night scene in NYC with the silhouette of dancing Cate has entered my personal vault of the most beloved film treasures. I loved the film. I know it may not be perfect story-wise but I don't care. There is much more to it than the story.