The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Review, 2008: Rated PG-13
Subtitle: Brad Pitt in makeup and CGI.
(Whenever a movie is rated PG-13 I get a sinking feeling. Just me?)
Who to look for:
Brad Pitt, of course! I mean, when he looks good. Which isn’t much, in this movie.
Cate Blanchett. She’s okay. She’s pretty.
David Fincher, Director. Well, I loved Fight Club, anyway!
Once Upon a Time…
I really wanted to see this. Didn’t everyone? The plot: a man growing younger, instead of older, sounded like a blast! Plus, starring the delicious Brad Pitt.
Only, not so much. This whole movie is more about death than life – pretty depressing. There are a couple of good quotes, and you do want him to get together with his true love, but my, that takes a while, and isn’t all that satisfying.
Oh, and a warning: it’s a period piece, at least at first. No one told you that, did they? That’s because most people hate them, and the studios know this, so they hide the costumes, the sets, the unattractive hairstyles, everything. Mostly on the poster and DVD cover.
Brad Pitt is only his beautiful self for about 20 minutes of the movie. The rest of the time he looks pretty terrible. I mean George Clooney, Jack Nicholson, grow older, and are still handsome. Not so the hero in this movie.
Nothing is funny…or really interesting, even as a medical oddity. He’s not even “curious” himself. Why? And the romance takes way too long to get started. And Benjamin Button is a runaway Dad (unlike Brad Pitt irl.)
Alternate Universe excuse
The plot is old-fashioned and a little confusing. I can’t even add up the death count, and it’s not even a war picture. And the love interest plays a horrible trick on her daughter, after her father leaves her for an inexplicable reason. (screenwriting convenience.) Ugh!!
And the reasoning behind his different sizes…not logical even in this fantasy world.
Depressing movie, and there weren’t enough cool vintage buttons /sewing to make up for it.
Explain the Ending and SPOILERS
There was no reason at all why BB ran away once he finally connected with Daisy. That made him an absentee father and a cad as a lover or husband. You know, producers, when you want to sell a romance to an audience, maybe don’t try for the Romeo & Juliet ill-starred lovers and give us some love, ‘kay?
Also: if he turned into a baby, did he die from stillbirth? Not sure what happened there.
Could Benjamin Button happen in real life?
(I saw this question on google!) Not exactly! The original writer is real, however. The movie is a riff on an F Scott Fitzgerald story.
Unfortunately, some children with Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome grow old too fast. I saw that one person lived until 40 but most die too young, like Adalia at 15.
Adalia Rose Williams was an American YouTube star who did upbeat videos on fashion and beauty, as well as candid updates and explainers about her medical condition.
Other Audience Reviews
Google: 91% of Google viewers liked it!
From AmazonPrime or DVD
From Niles 508: Why is he getting small again, like a baby, when he was born small as an old man?
From Marissa: A truly unique story about navigating life, romance and internally aging gracefully
iCosplayFitness – A Vine Voice, which means he got it FREE: Beautiful soundtrack …for these reasons and many many more are why it has made the List of 1001 movies you must see before you die. (Are you allowed to make a bucket list that long? 🙂 )
From The Guardian: (this is a tad harsh, I think.)
He is just bland-faced Benjamin Button, who eventually, in his youthful pomp, riding his motorcycle or sailing his yacht, has all the interest of a model in a Gap advert. Apart from his remarkable physical quirk, which never attracts any medical or media attention, Benjamin really is very boring indeed.
Roger Ebert: Says the film is “splendidly made”, but profoundly wrong, because life loses all meaning when people are going in different directions.
There is no lesson to be learned. No catharsis is possible…
I can’t imagine many people wanting to see the movie twice.
I’ll drink to that.
That’s a Wrap
I gave it 2.5 stars. It’s an average movie. Good production, but not memorable.
What did you think?
Set painter in studio Art Depts. Member Scriptwriters Network, script analyst.
Author, 2 hardcopy books, Barnes & Noble Calendar.
- Emma in the Night ~ Wendy Walker ~ Thriller - May 11, 2023
- Still Alice (2014) ~ Psychology Movie Review ~ Julianne Moore - January 25, 2023
- The Other Emily ~ Dean Koontz - January 23, 2023
