Last night, I caught the sneak preview of Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett's odd new movie, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Long as hell (159 minutes!), it borders on chick flick, although open-minded men might find the story intriguing. The film (written by F. Scott Fitzgerald in the 1920's) documents a love story between Benjamin, who is born "old" (the hideous baby creature has cataracts, arthritis and wrinkled skin) and grows younger and a girl/woman who ages normally, Blanchett's character Daisy. Thought-provoking and contrary to what a couple of my friends predicted, the plot doesn't sink to pedophilia levels. But perhaps in the hardcore porn world…
Things I liked: The fascinating tale itself, the superb acting by Pitt and Blanchett (although she only shows up midway through), the emphasis on family and its importance (thus the Christmas Day release date), how the oft-depressing subject of death is handled, and the film's ability to make you think about implications of Benjamin's circumstances ("what would I do?").
Things I didn't like: The addition of real-world themes like the overlay of Hurricane Katrina – it felt forced and useless, the special effects for Pitt as an old manchild were a bit lame, the length – drama-ladened scenes droned on, and the lack of addressing the race relations present in the time periods (not everyone loved each other, especially in the south).
Definitely worth a look, even at $10. It's nominated for five Golden Globes, including Best Picture.
This article appears in Dec 17-23, 2008.