The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - A review

I’m not a big fan of magical realism. It always seems that the combination ends up being neither realistic or magical. Indeed, the only way to find the magic in the wild scenarios of the genre is to play them as straight and naturalistic as is possible. This begins to happen about one hour into Benjamin Button and there are certainly moments when the magic feels real and the movie achieves real magic. When it works - and by “works” I mean, actually achieves powerful emotional resonance – it connects you to your own life, loves and missed opportunities. There are indeed a couple of moments when you are watching a love story that mirrors any of your own, full of the necessity and terror of change.

But there’s a whole lot of standard issue manipulative formula to wade through before you get there, and plenty of standard shlock remains sprinkled throughout once you arrive. So much so in fact that the power of those special moments get diminished in a sea of attempts to soar emotionally. It’s as if Fincher and Co were throwing such a cacophony of darts at a board, that when they hit the target you hardly notice through all the noise and traffic of flying sharp things.

This is rather bizarre because the talents and skills of everyone involved are so very much in evidence. Cate Blanchett has never been more luminous or gorgeous and she elevates every moment of every movie she’s in by grounding it in inescapably recognizable humanity. BB is no exception. I can think of no other actress who will have as broad a repertoire of classic performances in her career and really she's just getting started still. Julia Ormond does a nice turn in a thankless role that she gives depth without overdramatizing. Taraji P. Henson turns a several stereotypes into a woman you care for – and root for. Tilda Swinson shows a giddy girly side we’ve often missed in her steely portraits of ice queens. And Pitt is superb in every way in an extremely difficult role technically and emotionally. Some may think him too reserved, but I think any ounce more of emoting out of him and the credibility of the film would have been forever lost.

David Fincher is one of my all-time favorite directors ever. I’m rather in love with his work and have been for decades now since he was tearing up MTV with his superior video skills which Madonna owes at least in part to making her a superstar. BB is unsurprisingly technically stunning. From fine make-up effects to CGI, Fincher’s accomplishment in making the film not seem ridiculous or like a special effects showcase is massive and must be recognized. There is little if any self indulgence in the technical mastery, in fact the technical mastery here is in making the film not seem as technically masterful as it actually is, if you know what I mean. And there are individual images which haunt and shots which will be dissected by film students and film makers as long as such things exist. When the film is at its very best, the shared dark humor of Pitt and Fincher (not as dark as FIGHT CLUB obviously, but there are little glimpses which delight) goes on display and the film feels original and fresh and yes, magical.

Again, the talents and skills of everyone involved are so very much in evidence. Ohhhhhh….wait. Okay – maybe everyone except the screenwriter, Eric Roth, who is best known for writing FORREST GUMP. I don't like FG either, both films, imho, suffer from construction and dialogue that is so paint-by-numbers-epic-kitsch that in lesser hands (than Pitt/Fincher or Hanks/Zemekis) both films would be entirely insufferable. In BB, Roth can barely be bothered to replace “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get” with the far lazier “You never know what’s coming for you” as if “fate” or “kismet” or “predestination” (the movie uses all three terms in one line - see what I mean by a lot of darts?) is a villain in life’s version of Friday the 13th. Which isn’t the point. Actually, I’m not entirely sure what IS the point of Benjamin Button, even though it’s trying to make a lot of them. There’s stuff about letting go, change, the evolution of love, maturity, missing people, missing opportunities, aging, destiny, communication, misunderstandings, pride, responsibilities to the less advantaged/beautiful, and probably many more themes I didn't get a chance to notice while I was noting all the others. I guess BENJAMIN BUTTON, much like a box of chocolates, is best when you take what tastes good to you and leave the rest. Maybe, like said box of chocolates, enough people will find pieces they like (and ignore the rest) to have the picture sail into Big Money and a Best Picture Oscar.

I, however, would have appreciated not have to pick through the yucky marzipan to get to the dark chocolate truffle.

But that’s just me.