Fincher's Directorial Triumph

Rating: 9/10 (13 December 2009)

Director David Fincher (FIGHT CLUB)has achieved the zenith of his career with THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON, a sweeping and majestic fable that spans almost an entire century. This moving and eloquent story follows the life of a boy named Benjamin, who was born as a baby in his late 80's and ages in reverse. His mother died in childbirth and his father was so horrified at the sight of him that he left him on an anonymous doorstep, where he was taken in by a kindly black owner of a boarding house in post WWI New Orleans. We become completely enveloped in Benjamin's tale as we watch him calmly accept the extraordinary hand that God has dealt him while others do the same or run in terror. We watch the kindly adopted mother who accepts his as he is, though does take him to a faith healer thinking she can "save" him; we also watch his biological father track him down and regret his decision of giving the boy up while he maintains a life long friendship with Daisy, the little girl who he meets as an old manchild, whose lives meet in the middle as she grows into a vain beauty who can't accept the fact that Benjamin grows younger as she grows older. The film is visually arresting and bold in its cinematic scope as Fincher's meticulous direction brings you a story that should make you ponder, but really only makes you behold. Brad Pitt received his second Oscar nomination for his performance in the title role, a role which many feel was all visual effects and makeup; however, Benjamin has a mind and a soul and a voice that Pitt brings to this extraordinary character with a quiet and understated dignity. Cate Blanchett is luminous as Daisy, the love of Benjamin's life who can't quite accept Benjamin's life for what it is and there is strong support from Taraji P. Henson as Benjamin's adoptive mother and Jason Flemyng as his biological father. Fincher breathes an extraordinary life into this story which could have been buried in visual effects and makeup but has a life of its own and the final act as Daisy becomes an older woman while Benjamin regresses to infancy, is absolutely heartbreaking. A one of kind cinematic experience.