The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button

I have championed this film ever since I originally saw it in an upscale theatre in an outlying suburb of Chicago during the Christmas season. I loved every second of the film – all 2.5 hours of it. It’s extremely reminiscent of epics like FORREST GUMP, where there is a main male character who moves throughout his life and through historical events with a reoccurring romantic connection pulling everything along. Another similarity in these two films is that the main characters each have a unique qwerk to them. Forrest is “special” and Benjamin ages in reverse. I wonder if these films would have made such an impression if the main character was a norm? Hmmm…

CCofBB Trailer

My family has seen this film and curse the thought of it every time it’s brought up. They thought it was so slow paced and boring that it was unbearable. I loved the pacing of this film. I loved the voiceover narration throughout the film. I loved the vulnerability of the characters throughout their reoccurring relationship across the decades. I though Brad Pitt did an excellent job, and Cate Blanchet was a vision in her role and performance. The CG was very well done, throughout the battle sequences and with the aging changes.

The story was probably the weakest part of the film. Just like FORREST GUMP, the main character kind floated through life and all these intense historical events whirlwinded around him. However, in CCofBB the main character finally came to the self-realization that life is short, so he made the best of experiencing the world and living the little bit of life he had left. Forrest did something similar, but it was more masked. Overall I still love this film. I’ve seen it 3 times now and each time I like it more and more.

My favorite part of the film is the montage where Brad and Cate buy their first house together. It’s just so believable, their performances that is. And you cannot help but smile as you watch them with each other.

Rating: 9.75/10

RT: 72%