Reviewing The Arts

I Was Born With Unusual Circumstances

“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”, starring Brad Pitt, was a well-written movie by Eric Roth and directed by David Fincher. It starts off with an old woman named Daisy, played by Cate Blanchett, on her deathbed in a hospital residing in New Orleans. Daisy draws her last breaths filtering through her memories, while her daughter reads to her from a diary belonging to Benjamin Button. Button was, through some type of magic or curse, born into the world with cataracts, arthritis, and no elasticity in his skin. Basically he was born a little old man. Button called it “being born with unusual circumstances.” His mother died shortly after giving birth to him. His father, frightened by the wrinkly baby, left him on the doorstep of a home for the elderly. Luckily a lady who worked at the home, named Queenie, played by Taraji P. Henson, decided to raise him. As times goes forward, or should one say backwards, he runs into Daisy several times throughout the film. She happens to be the love of his life, but the on again off again relationship can be a little confusing. Button travels the world, fights wars, encounters many different women, and so much more throughout this three-hour film. There are some parts in the movie that are kind of slow and may even be considered unnecessary. They should not have made this movie so long and drawn out, the motive is to want to keep the viewers interested at all times.

The visual effects were breath taking and extraordinary. One may wonder how the filmmakers could alter a baby Benjamin to look so old yet so young. The first word to come to mind to describe the infant’s skin is doughy. The skin had a dough-like consistency. It is hard to determine where Brad Pitt actually steps in as Benjamin. If not paying careful attention, one may miss the point when he eventually does. Everything looks so real that on several occasions, one may forget that there were visual effects involved.

Overall this is a bizarre, yet beautifully told story. It is one of those deep movies that actually make you think afterwards. Viewers will be unprepared for all the physical and emotional power of this film. Going through life backwards is a completely different perspective than anyone could ever imagine. This movie will make one appreciate life a little more even with its trials and tribulations. The ending, however, is quite a tearjerker for those who are sensitive to unhappy endings. Many critics have compared this movie to “Forest Gump” for some reason or another. The obvious similarity to both movies is that Eric Roth writes them both. According to hubpages.com, “both stories are told in the same fashion and tone. In Forrest Gump he (Forrest) narrates his story in his own perspective, whereas in the case of Benjamin Button his daughter reads his diary to Daisy. Both movies have many emotional factors in common, such as a man's emotions and feelings when others consider him as a strange one. Both movies are related to war and also depict sailor's life (or life on water).” Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, and Taraji P. Henson did remarkable performances. This movie won many Oscars and would be recommended to anyone who enjoys the drama genre of films.

posted by Sara Hunt @ 12:11 PM