Stunning Craftsmanship and a Heartfelt Approach Lend Resonance to an Elaborate Adult Fairy Tale

Rating: 8/10 (27 January 2009)

Taken as an elaborate, adult-oriented fairy tale, there is much to savor in director David Fincher's 2008 time-spanning magnum opus. The sheer craftsmanship in his nearly three-hour film is second to none from Claudio Miranda's masterful cinematography to Alexandre Desplat's grandiose music to Donald Graham Burt's meticulous production design. Nearly every image feels like a beautiful tableau perfect in the depiction of the specific period that the filmmaker had meant to evoke. Where the film misses the mark somewhat is in its center. The passivity of the title character - while understandable given the passage of 20th-century history he witnesses and the extraordinary changes he experiences - does not provide as compelling an impetus for the plot as one would hope. Co-written by Eric Roth ("Forrest Gump") and Robin Swicord ("The Jane Austen Book Club"), the story takes a "Gump"-like approach to Benjamin making him an observer of the sweeping events around him. With the usually sober-minded, action-oriented Fincher ("Se7en", "Fight Club", "Zodiac") at the helm, the surprise is that he pulls off the movie without sacrificing his dark-edged, soulful film-making style.
Based on a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald ("The Great Gatsby"), the fanciful story centers on Benjamin Button, who is born in New Orleans on the night of that World War I officially ends. His mother dies after childbirth, and upon seeing his age-withered son, the father leaves Benjamin on the back steps of a local retirement home. The barren caretaker Queenie takes the baby in without condition even though Benjamin has the symptoms of an elderly man - arthritis, cataracts, deafness. Defying the odds, he continues to live as an old man growing younger by the day. In the midst of this odd existence enters Daisy, the granddaughter of one of the residents, who is immediately drawn to the aged Benjamin. Realizing they are destined for each other despite the initially discomfiting circumstances, they move in completely different directions for the next several years. Daisy becomes a promising dancer in New York City, while Benjamin becomes a tugboat sailor experiencing war, romance, and his budding manhood. It's inevitable that they intersect, but given that their life paths are moving them in opposite, intractable directions, the issue becomes how long can they truly stay together.
While Brad Pitt fits the physical dimensions of the part well, especially with the assistance of expert make-up and CGI effects, I think he falls a bit short in conveying the nuance of his watchful character. There is an opaqueness in his performance that makes me wonder if there is much to the character beyond his extraordinary medical circumstances. Cate Blanchett, on the other hand, captures the restless vigor of Daisy well and effectively shows the evolving resignation her character faces as she grows older and he younger. On opposing timelines, both actors are required to age from 20 to over 80, and neither displays the predictable affectation that would otherwise mar their work here. There is standout work on the sidelines - Tilda Swinton as the lonely, wealthy wife of a British diplomat who embarks on a clandestine affair with Benjamin while he is stationed in Moscow, and best of all, Taraji P. Henson (memorable as the simpering Shug in "Hustle and Flow"), who plays Queenie well beyond stereotype into a genuinely heartwarming character. There are some amazing scenes such as the wartime sequence at sea, as well as humorous interludes like the lightning-prone man. The ending feels a bit rushed, though the framing device with the reverse-clockmaker lends surprising resonance to the central love story.