REVIEW The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)


My name's Benjamin, Benjamin Button. Or was that Forrest, Forrest Gump.

I got a little confused as to which film I was seeing when I went to a
screening of Brad Pitt's latest film just a few days before New Years.

Maybe it was the fact we were lumped in the second row and my view was distorted.

But, be that as it may, there was no doubt the similarities between the adventures of Mr Button and Mr Gump were there for all to see.

Apart from the fact Benjamin begins life as an old man and grows young
and Forrest grows old but is forever young - mentally.



Researching the background behind The Curious Case of Benjamin Button reveals the film was actually written by Eric Roth - of course the man behind Forrest Gump, the Academy Award-winning movie from 1994 starring Tom Hanks.

Now Roth is certainly not a one-trick pony - he's also written screenplays
for The Horse Whisperer (1998), The Insider (1999), Ali (2001), Munich (2005) and The Good Shepherd (2006).

And his latest offering is largely another success. Don't get me wrong, Benjamin Button is a terrific film - if a little long, but again, sitting second
row will do that - I just wish we weren't slapped in the face so much by the
glaring likeness between the two movies released 14 years apart.

This recent video highlights the situation perfectly.


CLICK HERE IF THE VIDEO IS NOT WORKING



Did Roth think no-one would notice? Or was he banking on the fact Forrest Gump was such a masterpiece why not go with it again, but just with a different character.

Roth's screenplay is based on a short story from 1922 written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Both tell the tale of a man who ages backwards, but what happens in his life between birth and death vary greatly. You can view the short story here.

The execution of the film is first-class, with director David Fincher (Zodia, Seven) at the helm. I particularly enjoyed the backdrop of old New Orleans where Benjamin 'grows up'. The movie really takes you there.



Pitt's performance is also top-notch. It goes without saying the role would've been a challenging one. Early on, after enduring five hours of make-up a day, he must play an old man, who can barely walk, but with a young mind.

I don't think anyone, apart from maybe Johnny Depp of course, could've pulled off such a performance Pitt gives.

It's interesting to note that both Tom Cruise and John Travolta were attached to star at different times over the last decade, with Steven Spielberg and Ron Howard linked to direct. Not sure if Robert Zemekis (Forrest Gump) was ever in line though.

Cate Blanchett, playing the love interest, is a little ho-hum, with her major appearances coming during the slightly drawn-out sequence towards the end when the two leads finally get together and grapple with their obvious relationship problems. He's getting younger, she's getting older.

It results in a fairly tragic finale.

But, as they say, "life's like a box of chocolates - you never know what you're gonna get".