I consider myself to be far more patient with long movies than most. It's my belief that if a movie needs three hours to tell its story, I'm happy to indulge it. Indeed, what a delight it can be to stumble across a movie you wish would never end? So involved in the world it has created, you could explore it for hours. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is three hours long, and on the face of it, it certainly sounds like it warrants that run time. This is the entire life story of a man, and no ordinary man at that. So I was more than happy to allow it the time it felt it needed to unravel its story. Perhaps the thing that struck me most upon leaving the cinema, then, was how little it did with that extended run time, and how the length seriously damaged what could have been one of the very best films of the year.The premise is pretty straightforward, yet endlessly intriguing: what would a man's life be like if he was born old and died young? Apparently it would be almost exactly the same as any other life, save for a few minor details. Benjamin Button (Brad Pitt) may look old when he is born, but he is a child at heart. And he may look like a kid when he's dying, but he's truly senile. Much of the hardships and benefits of living a life backwards are completely glossed over. Aside from a few "You sure are old to be doing X" comments, nothing is really made of his condition (disease?) by others. Perhaps the only part of his life - and the film - affected by this peculiarity is his realization that he would be dooming whoever he loves to take care of him in his final years. Which is pretty much exactly how it goes for any elderly person. Indeed, it's a premise not fully realized. It seems instead that it is merely a device used to examine one man's life. And what a dull man that is.
Button experiences no major moments in his life that warrant a cinematic telling. Much of his life is spent listening to other people tell him their stories, many of which seem far more interesting than his. Perhaps that's the point, but it sure isn't worth making a three hour movie about. The whole cast is very solid. Front and center in Button's life is Daisy (Cate Blanchett). Blanchett gives a great, understated performance. She relies on no gimmicks, no big moments of emotion. She simply inhabits a character, and it works well. Taraji P. Henson plays Button's adopted mother, and she brings warmth and humor to the role. And the fact that she is working at a retirement home allows for some amusing moments between Benjamin and the older folks. Key to the movie, however, is of course Brad Pitt. Pitt plays Button for almost all of his life. The more I reflect on it, the more I really appreciated his work as the physically older, mentally younger Button. It must be pretty hard to play both old and young at the same time, but he's very convincing at it. But again, he is given no real moments to shine, either, so it's easy to forget about him in the midst of all the technical wizardry on display.
In many ways, I would argue that David Fincher is the visual wunderkind of film making today. His films are so visually beyond anything else out there, yet they never draw attention to themselves. Watch the special features on the Zodiac DVD and you'll be blown away by how much CGI is used in a seemingly visual effects free film. Here he steps up his game in stunning ways. The creation of Benjamin Button as a character is mind boggling. I have no idea how they did it, nor are there any seams in the creation that might allow you to figure it out. That can't possibly be Brad Pitt, but yet it certainly can't be someone else, either. And the cinematography from start to finish is perhaps the most striking, enchanting, and beautiful of the year. In spite of how little money Fincher's films usually make at the box office, he keeps getting huge budgets. As a film fan, there are few things to be more thankful for, as he knows how to spend every dollar to make the best visual experience possible.
The mundane story is what drags down an otherwise enchanting film. So many great themes are brought up, a number of asides from supporting characters are delightful (especially the story of the clockmaker who made his clock run backwards), and the visuals are stunning. Yet it's that three hour run time that ultimately undermines it all. All those things matter very little if you can't get into the story. Button's life is simply not a very eventful one, but it should have been. How is he never taken to a doctor once? Even if not for his obvious problem, did he never get sick once, or break a bone? Surely then a doctor would see him and want to study him. I feel like this film didn't explore the concept nearly as well as it could, which is a shame considering how good everything else about it is.
