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The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)

Director: David Fincher

Time Out rating

Average user rating

63 reviews

Movie review

From Time Out London

The investigative scope and emotional weight of David Fincher’s ‘Zodiac’ surprised those of us who accused him of valuing style over substance. But in ‘Benjamin Button’, the director assumes a greater challenge: an epic, melancholic romance that employs a multi-generational cast and groundbreaking visual effects. It’s a testament to Fincher’s skill as a storyteller that the film actually works, albeit sporadically.

The script was adapted from a F Scott Fitzgerald story about a man who ages in reverse. Newborn geriatric Benjamin (Brad Pitt) is abandoned on the steps of an old folks’ home and raised by kindly nurse Queenie (Taraji P Henson). As a septuagenarian on crutches he meets love of his life Daisy (Cate Blanchett); in middle age he woos and wins her; as a young man their life together begins to fall apart.The screenplay was written by ‘Forrest Gump’ scribe Eric Roth, and it shows: much of ‘Button’ takes place in a Southern fantasia populated by brassy women and sassy black folks, all of whom pepper their conversation with enough homespun homilies to fill a Reader’s Digest almanac. But thankfully this is Fincher’s movie, not Roth’s, and his exacting eye for bravura visual spectacle carries the picture.

At times infuriatingly banal, at others unexpectedly powerful, this is shameless Oscar bait that transcends hokey scripting thanks to a combination of sheer craft and some remarkable performances, notably Tilda Swinton, whose brief, poignant turn crystallises the film’s timeless themes of love, loss and regret.

Author: Tom Huddleston 2009-02-03 11:10:45

Time Out London Issue 2007, 5 - 11 Feb, 2009

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User reviews of this film

DV said...

Posted on Feb 09 2009 14:40 I think I'm starting to get a handle on how these public reviews work...
Beautifully shot, if a little slow in places. And not as sad as I was expecting. Not sure about how the last phase of his life panned out...
Still. Well above average.

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Antony R said...

Posted on Feb 09 2009 14:06 could be my film of the year brad pitt has never been better it shows that he is a great actor. david fincher just keeps getting better, he is one of the best directors working.
and to does people who hated the film you clearly know nothing about the art of cinema.

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Thomas said...

Posted on Feb 09 2009 13:49 Excellent film. Nada es para siempre.

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usman khawaja said...

Posted on Feb 09 2009 03:51 February 9th, 2009 3:49 amRating:
an appalling egregious modification of dorian grey
while dorian grey is a moral fable which brings a man eternal youth for selling his soul ,some one in hollywoods thought a reversal of fortune would be contemporary genius ,
here the man goes from geriatric to peadiatric ,continuously pestered as an old man by friends as to if he has conquered a female or not ,
after leavung home at 70 he embarks on a sea voyage and ends up in world war 2 -the blessing to hollywood where a fish trawler sinks a submarine in mid ocean and a metaphorical humming bird appears ,
next is middle age where he eats caviar and has fornication with a rather silly woman on regular basis in a rat infested hotel with gold plated goblets ,
she leaves him a note to go swim the english channel and he becomes brad pitt who finds a ballet dancer in the form of an overacting method nightmare cate blanchett and in the rest of the movie they strip each other ,liaise on a matress ,create an almost aborted baby girl before he gets scared and runs away on a motorbike for a world tour to india ,
when he comes bach he looks like he is wearing more loreal then miss blanchett and then he goes to the freudian foetal state getting demented in between as he becomes infabntile .
it is hilarious and more concerned with hurricane katrina as it is set in new orleans than its characters who all are overacted or non acted with a skillful function of diligent dysfunction ,
it is a spoof of oscar wildes dorian grey and its inspiration is an absolute mockery of the human life and existence with no logic or message .
the only philosophical treatise discuseed is in a barber shop at the beginning where he is told we are our memory as if we do not know that .
there are underwater tropical swimming and southern funerals with stereotypes by dozens and finally katrina comes along and you wish it had struck earlier .
at least this bizarre ordeal would have terminated

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Jem said...

Posted on Feb 08 2009 19:38 I convinced my partner to see this film beleiving that it would be a good film because it has been nominated 13 academy awards. Not only I have wasted 3 hours of my limited free time also lost my partner for taking her to this film.
It was the most boring film i have ever seen. I could not believe that they would give 13 nominations to this film if it wasn't any good and I insisted that my partner should watch it to the end. It was a big mistake. I tried to tell her that it was not my but Oscar's fault by giving 13 nominations to this film it did not calm her down. Guys please do not take your partners to this film unless you want to get rid of them.

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meral yilmaz said...

Posted on Feb 08 2009 18:53 I have never spent 3 hours wasted on a film such as this one. I wanted to leave at the half way but thought there must be more after seen time out film rating (3stars). It was total dissapointment for I and my partner, Brad Pitt should have more sense than playing in such a film. An actor in his status should have never excepted this role. Please do not spend your money neither time on this film. This should than teach the film makers we are not dumm

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AJ said...

Posted on Feb 08 2009 11:57 Apreciating the film more today than yesterday. It has stayed with me. But was anyone else confused as to why, with at least 20 years left in him (aged 40 to 20) he left her, saying her & his daughter? He could have been a father for many years. That made no sense to me what so ever!!!! Surely his daughter would have rather had 20 or so years with her father, than none at all?? That wa sa very painful moment for them both, but an unnessary one? But I guess without that the story wouldn't have been as sad? & I guess he wouldnt have had the chance to travel the world etc. Maybe it's hinting at the downside of feeling 'trapped' as a parent perhaps??

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k said...

Posted on Feb 07 2009 23:59 ...it's pretty, clever and a good idea, but was about an hour too long. I practically gnashed my teeth whenever the flashback cut to the hospital. On a simplistic rating level (no way am I a wannabe critic like many here) it's the mother of all chickflicks. Take a pillow... or haemerroid (sp?) ring - you'll need it.

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CHRISTINE said...

Posted on Feb 07 2009 21:10 I loved this film, excellent acting, great story, makes you laugh and cry. I would give the oscar to the effects team.

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RastaFrasta said...

Posted on Feb 07 2009 14:45 Well there's 3 hours of my life I won't get back.

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Kat said...

Posted on Feb 07 2009 10:56 I thought this film was so lovely. Really moving, well written, brilliant acting, awseome make-up and it was a really nice story. I dont understnad why people feel they should so aggressively slate it! Gosh, if you didnt like it so much maybe you should have just left...?

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Helen B said...

Posted on Feb 07 2009 08:50 We all live stressful lives - go to the cinema, get a drink and a snack and lose yourself for 3 hours. Its watchable, enjoyable, funny, sad and moving. Just relax people! And the two stars are great...

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PERFECT DAY said...

Posted on Feb 06 2009 21:02 Don’t let anybody put you off seeing this film. It is an experience you will not forget. This is a majestic film of the highest quality. The performances are uniformly superb, apart from Tilda Swinton (who acts as though she’s in a completely different film).
The assured direction by Fincher takes you on an effortless 3 hour journey. Brad Pitt is perfectly cast and the gentle score is perfect for this type of feel-good melancholia. Kate Blanchett is probably the best actress in the world and she doesn’t disappoint here.
Cast aside all pretentiousness and you will love this experience.

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mike said...

Posted on Feb 05 2009 23:02 I'm surprised at all the praise this film is getting.This is a heavily derivative film, coasting on the magic of previous successful films such as Forrest Gump & Amelie.
Don't be fooled by the window dressing; the makers (& writers) of this film have lifted quite a lot of elements from other films, trying to capture that Oscar winning formula in new packaging.There is nothing remotely spontaneous or alive in this overcooked, bland film.
And just in case you miss the message or theme of the film, it's spelled out for you every 15 minutes or so by one of the characters. Brad Pitt is too vain an actor to give an honest, emotional performance, & in this film he is the epitome of wooden.
I can only imagine what one of the other Davids (Lynch Cronenberg) could have done with this film....as it is, this film falls way short of expectations.

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ERIC said...

Posted on Feb 05 2009 16:42 RUBBISH BORING FILM IF EVER THERE WAS ONE. DID NOT CARE ABOUT ANY OF THE CHARACTERS OR WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM.

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