The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Film: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Director: David Fincher
Starring: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett
Runtime: 167 mins
Rating: *****
Very, very occasionally, a few times in a lifetime perhaps, we might come across a story of such magical conception that it leaves us brimming with envy that we hadn’t thought of it ourselves. From the wonderfully imaginative writer of The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is one such story. Or, I should say, premise. No doubt loosely based on T.H White’s character Merlin, Fitzgerald’s short story tells the tale of a boy who is ‘born old’, and ages backwards. Short stories often make great films, but credit here must go to Eric Roth and Robin Swicord, as this two-and-three-quarter-hour film’s plot is virtually unrecognisable from Fitzgerald’s story, and is, in essence, an original creation. Theirs is a remoulded and more nuanced tale of Benjamin’s struggle to forge a life for himself, and the humour, emotional turmoil and tragedy that result from his bizarre situation are handled with affection, but no gratuitous emotion.
The manhandling of this innovation by those involved in bringing the story to the screen would have been a tragedy. Instead, these visionaries have created a film of such technical greatness that it not only out-classes its contemporaries, but can easily be considered one of the finest ever artistic Hollywood achievements. It’s no surprise that the film was pipped to the Best Picture post at both The Oscars and the BAFTAs: this is an art film through and through, and it doesn’t tick any political boxes. In terms of artistic creation at least, however, this film is utterly sublime. And it was no mean feat: Benjamin’s is an epic life-story. The settings are as varied as 1918 New Orleans, wartime Russia and 1940s Paris, yet the film feels thoroughly grounded in its rapidly varying settings, authentic down to the smallest detail. There was really no competition for the award for Art Direction. The make-up and special effects are similarly revolutionary, taking Cate Blanchett from her 20s to her 70s and Brad Pitt from his 80s back to his glorious, gorgeous 20s.
The performances are good, but no match for the technical brilliance. Brad Pitt is solid, doing what he can with the role of a fairly passive and placid protagonist. He’s supported by a wealth of strong character portrayals – Taraji P. Henson, thoroughly deserving of her Oscar nomination, is notably strong. It’s baffling that Cate Blanchett hasn’t been nominated – perhaps the academy are desensitised to her consistently stellar performances? She is, however, engaging and emotive as Benjamin’s long-term love interest, Daisy – a role that requires far more emotional complexity and depth than Pitt’s as she tries to come to terms with loosing the love of her life to childhood.
David Fincher’s direction and Claudio Miranda’s cinematography must also be commended. The film is often breathtakingly beautiful. It showcases innumerable poised, soon-to-be iconic images, predominantly during the peak of Benjamin and Daisy’s romance and physical beauty – as if to compound the tragedy that ‘nothing lasts’: the youthful Benjamin rides a motorbike and sails through 1960s Louisiana, his bronzed skin glowing in the honey-coloured Southern light, and the temporarily same-aged couple are shot at their inseparable and vibrant best as they sail around the Florida Keys. Miranda’s cinematography is as varied as the settings, and he captures the mellow homeliness of the Louisiana sunset, the harsh realities of war, and the different atmospheres of Paris and Russia with equal aplomb. No short-cuts are taken in terms of quality, and the fantastical imagination of Fitzgerald’s creation is given a modern-day helping of authenticity, poignancy, humanity and warmth and delivered with masterful skill.
Loading ...