Warner Bros
www.benjaminbutton.com
With a screenplay based on the 1921 short story of the same name, the fantasy tale of Benjamin Button is one of the most intriguing, attention grabbing and curious films I have seen in a while. Even before I had watched the film I had heard about the premise and become very inquisitive over how exactly a man could be born with the physical attributes of an 85-year-old and grow up to a newborn baby. Not only how would this work in a story, but also how make up could create such a thing and be believable.
As the story goes, a baby is born with the physical maladies of an elderly man, abandoned by his father at a nursing home (his mother died in childbirth), taken in, raised by Queenie (Taraji P. Henson) and named Benjamin (Brad Pitt). While biologically growing younger, while appearing to be an old man, Benjamin meets a young girl named Daisy (Elle Fanning). He spends his years working on a tugboat, exploring brothels and bars, sending her postcards from his travels. It isn’t until his appearance develops to the age where both are comfortable with each other, things begin to develop and the real significance of the story unravels. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is depicted from his journal read by Daisy’s daughter in 2005.
If you have ever read a book that you couldn’t put down, read it until your eyes went blurry, so desperate to find out what happens without resorting to skipping to the end as you would miss the incredible middle, then you have my exact feelings when watching The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. The screenplay is written with such detail, creativity and interest. The way it is told from a journal seemed so fitting as you are given a little glimpse at a time into Benjamin’s life with its effect on Daisy in the present day. The point of the clock going back in time rather than forward symbolising Benjamin’s life was an excellent and very ingenious idea.
The way in which certain scenes are filmed is remarkable and really given detail to make them plausible. Usually in a film that depicts a story over many years, the actors are made to look older; here the complete reverse is given to Pitt. It is incredible how he can be a young boy, in height and mentality while looking to have many more years behind him. He is given wrinkles by the bucket full in his early years, then as he gets older, begins to walk and become more physical they’re gradually removed, like a man with a fantastic night and day wrinkle cream.
The most heart wrenching part of the film is not the beginning about an abandoned baby or his struggles growing up and getting younger as you may expect. How much would you do for the person you love, would you look after them in their old age, or in this case, as they get younger by the day. The end is the stories true tender moment.
I was mesmerised by how well this curious tale unravelled…it was absolutely brilliant!
Michelle Moore