The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

7.5 out of 10

So I finally got around to watching The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and I was somewhat surprised.  As much as I always want to write Brad Pitt off as an over-hyped pretty boy he pulls out these great performances that remind me he can actually act.  I really had no interest in this movie when I saw the preview, and I was fairly surprised when it was nominated for so many awards.  I’d say I was even annoyed when it won 3 Oscars, as the whole movie seemed gimmicky and one dimensional.

Well, I sat done and watched it and found it quite touching.  I can see why it would be up for so many awards, though whether it deserved to win is still up to some debate.  The story is pretty much what you’d expect and offers very little in the way of surprises.  In case you don’t know, the premise is Benjamin is born an old man and physically grows younger as he ages.  Although the plot is pretty predictable it’s still very interesting to see and told well.  You really feel like you’ve seen a man’s full lifetime by the end.  I’m not sure what the running time was, but it felt like this movie lasted forever!  There are definitely a few parts that could have been cut out to help the pace, but nothing too bad. 

The visuals and tone of the movie did a great job in creating a fairy tale like atmosphere that fit the story well.  Though it’s set in the real world and some of the story’s timeline and character aging struck me as questionable, you really should just suspend your disbelief and try to enjoy the movie to get the most out of it.  I have a naturally analytical mind and have been formally trained to really dissect all of a films elements, but sometimes it can just be nice to sit back and be swept up by the plot instead.

If you’re a sensitive person like me then you’ll find this movie to be a real tear-jerker.  As you might imagine it’s quite sad when Benjamin has to see the people around him age and die.  The ending, which you can probably guess, is incredibly sad.  I felt pretty emotionally drained by the time the credits rolled.  The fantastic acting of Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett really drew me in.  If you are the type of person who likes to cry at movies go ahead and add another point to my score, as I’m sure you’ll enjoy this film.  There are some funny moments, but they are few and far between.

This falls into the rare category of a movie that I’d have no problem recommending to anyone, but will probably never watch again.  Not that I didn’t like it, but it’s the type of movie you have to really sit down and invest yourself in to get anything out of it.