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The Curious Review of BENJAMIN BUTTON


There’s something unnerving about knowing when exactly you’re going to die. In THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON (an adaptation of the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel of the same name), it doesn’t take too long for the title character to figure this out. The previews tell as much about a man born old and dies a baby. But there’s a bit more to this tale than meets the eye.

Benjamin (Brad Pitt), born in 1920’s New Orleans, lives a taboo love story like no other. As an old man with the comic mentality of an eight year old, he meets his girlfriend-to-be, Daisy (Cate Blanchett). They grow old (young?) together struggling to make things work and discover that, as time passes, so does their opportunity to stay together.

The honest relationship between Benjamin and Daisy faintly echoes Forrest Gump and Jenny from a movie I can’t remember the title of right now. As matter of fact, much of this movie will remind you of that movie: the silly awkward repartee, the funny montages. But this is NOT that movie. If Forrest Gump has a darker movie version, THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON would be it.

However, unlike Tom Hanks in Forrest Gump, Brad Pitt doesn’t take on all the incarnations of his character. Played by an army of actors (from Peter Donald Badalamenti III as the old Benjamin, to Spencer Daniels who is a spitting image of a young Pitt), you feel that the movie suffers because the character isn’t the same all the way through. It would’ve done the movie justice to have Pitt do all the versions of Benjamin (with maybe the exception of young Benjamin). I mean, if they can create Hobbits and Dwarves in a fictional world of Middle Earth, I’m sure they could’ve figured a way to make Brad Pitt look old and shrunken.

Another thing, I’ll be the first to admit the movie could’ve gone through one more run through the cutting room floor. The two hour and thirty-nine minute playing time does feel like a bit of a stretch. Perhaps snip off some gratuitous symbolism at the beginning (I’m looking at you backwards running clock!). This little shout-out to the troops overseas appeared awkwardly placed and served to add nothing to the movie.

Still, THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON isn’t too bad. Littered with a smattering of light humour to ensure not to take itself too serious and, at least, one or two laugh out loud moments, you’ll find yourself entertained by the unique storyline and colourful characters. Just be sure you’ve hit the washrooms first and have a fresh LARGE bag of popcorn at hand before you sit down.

7.8 Lightning Strikes out of 10