An Unusual Tale of Aging

Rating: 7/10 (22 February 2018)

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is David Fincher's longest film (and it certainly feels like it), and shows his best skills as a director, but his weaknesses in adapting the screenplay. Like my previous issue with Fight Club, I loved the direction, but felt that the film was poorly adapted from the original novel/screenplay.
The story of Benjamin Button's life is a great, intriguing concept for a film, and it definitely has its high points, but it also isn't quite enough to carry a nearly three-hour film. Where the film could have benefited from adding more depth to existing characters, some additional event or unnecessary character is introduced just to give viewers the impression that it feels more like a lifetime than a man's emotional and physical journey. Screenwriter Eric Roth basically transcribes the formula of his greatest work, Forrest Gump, and adapts it to Benjamin Button's curious case. It has many moments that feel inspired by Forrest Gump, and many moments that try too hard to be just like Forrest Gump. Your enjoyment of the film will depend on your enjoyment of certain parts of the story. While I enjoyed the serious, emotional moments of the characters and their emotional reactions to Benjamin's condition, other viewers may be more interested in the contrived events of his life, akin to Forrest Gump's successes, meant to prolong his journey.
Another exceptional aspect of this film is the makeup and the performances. Brad Pitt may not be doing very much work, but the makeup artists have a hell of a job to do and they deliver flawlessly. Benjamin Button looks and feels complex as a result of the excellent makeup and body acting done on him. Cate Blanchett also does a great job portraying Daisy, Benjamin's lifelong love, and reacts to the situation she finds herself in realistically and emotionally. Depth is added in places you would expect, but it is lacking in places you would expect it to be. Also very pleasing and smart on Fincher's part was the ending which satisfyingly ties the film together and concludes many of the loose ends.
If only the film tried less to be like Forrest Gump in reverse, the characters would have felt more realistic and the emotional payoff more earned. Even with the screenplay's faults, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button has a better overall effect on the viewer than the individual scenes do. Great cinematography, direction, makeup, and performances elevate a unique, intriguing concept with a lacking screenplay to make it one of Fincher's more emotional works, but also one of his less memorable.
3.5/5 stars