The Curious Case of Benjamin Button primarily stars Cate Blanchett and Brad Pitt in career defining roles. The film is loosely based on an F. Scott Fitzgerald work and has been released in single disc, BluRay, and double-disc (Criterion Collection) editions. This review is based on the Criterion Collection, double-disc, edition of the film.
The film’s plot is thick and the road it travels down is more than a little windy. The basic premise is that Benjamin is born old. He is small but resembles an old man physically (which leads to his original abandonment). Overtime he grows backwards, getting younger with each passing year, eventually exiting his life as a newborn. The sub-plot is of love pursued, lost, and regained however. Meeting Cate Blanchett’s character while she was a young child and he was, technically, and old man, the two know that they are destined to be together but only, over intersecting times, can this be possible.
I didn’t really like this movie when it first started. Its first hour is very similar to Forrest Gump, with elements of Simon Birch and Titanic sprinkled in. It sort of handicaps the film right away. Unlike many films that blow it at the end, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button gets much better as it goes on. Eventually you get swept away in this incredibly sad and immensely moving film. So many questions are raised that you’ll find yourself thinking about it for a few days after you watch it. There’s a lot to absorb here and Pitt and Blanchett are strikingly powerful in their performances, likely making the film better than it should have been.
There is an entire disc of extras included in this edition. Most of them are one-time watches, so the extra money for this edition is probably only worth it if you are a die-hard film buff. Interviews with Pitt and Blanchett, as well as audio commentary by Fincher, technical revelations in regards to how the aging process was filmed, featurettes on almost every (and many not so interesting) aspects of the films, and some behind-the-scenes style footage. While there are a myriad of features, few of them are all that interesting. The two main interviews and bits of the featurettes on how they actually made the film work were the most interesting and the rest were pretty run of the mill. I would likely have been satisfied with the single disc edition but it’s nice to have this one.
Overall, no matter what format you prefer, this film is definitely worth your time if you enjoy thought-provoking, intelligent, and heart gripping films.
Reviewed by Mark Fisher
