The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

From the reviews I have seen I thought it would be a "love it or hate it" type of film, but it wasn't. I didn't love it but I did like it and found it a fascinating watch.

It's a beautifully crafted fairytale that I am sure some feel spends to long smelling the roses, however I found it a very engaging and odd watch. The seamless effects are a thing to behold and each scene is like a lush painting.

Each period is created lavishly but it's the pre war period that feels like it came out of a musty old book of fables, the type which you see on old book shelves in big old mansions. In particular the days on the tugboat way out in the sea with the mast frozen, followed by the picturesque city in which Button meets Elizabeth, the scenes here are simply magical.

The movie is primarily a love story, a true love story I'd say, other themes are touched on such as how we are moulded as people by our interactions with others, and how you should live life to the fullest you can, however none of these themes are very subtly woven into the fabric of the movie, but that is not necessarily a negative depending on your point of view.

The acting is all very good, Blanchett as always is magnificent, just pure class throughput, creating a love interest that has an air of the fairytale love to her but with enough human earthiness to make her real. Tilda Swinton also has a brief but highly enjoyable supporting role that she plays to the hilt. Taja P Henson is blustery and warm hearted as Queenie but I don't see her performance as golden statue quality.

Now Pitt, Ive seen many describe his performance as one note, and it is true to say that the character of Benjamin Button is not emotionally a varied one, and I'd also say that the character is at his best when he is young but looks old and the amazing effects can be used as a crutch, however I think the way Pitt alters his voice and delivers his lines in these scenes add a lot to the visual of the Curious looking Mr Button.

Fincher's direction is a mixture of painstaking detail, technical brilliance and visual delight as always, combining with heart on this occasion, a trait I was unsure he could muster. However there is certainly a case to be made that he could tighten up the pacing, but for every length argument there is a counter argument.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a fairytale journey centered around a romance that lasts a lifetime, whether you enjoy taking that journey is another matter, it's not a thought provoking movie and it's not exciting, I can see those that think it's to long and that Button could have more exciting experiences, but at the same time I found the leisurely pace rewarding and his life experiences to be a mix of entertaining, humorous and touching.

8/10