Review: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

I seen The Curious Case of Benjamin Button a while ago, but actually didn't realise that it hadn't opened in Ireland or I would've reviewed it well before now. But, as it opens back home today, I thought that I'd throw in my two cents with a brief review.

The film is based upon a short story by F Scott Fitzgerald and tells the story of a man that ages in reverse. Brad Pitt plays the title role of Benjamin Button (for which he was nominated for Best Actor at the Academy Awards), with a supporting cast of Cate Blanchett as his chief love interest and Taraji P. Henson (also Oscar Nominated for Best Supporting Actress) as Benjamin's de-facto adoptive mother.

There are, broadly, two types of people who go to the cinema. There are those who want to see a particular movie, who are in the minority; and then there are those who just want to go to the cinema. I generally fall into the second category. I will pretty much watch anything in the cinema since I enjoy both movies and the cinematic experience. I'm sure most people reading this fall into the same group.

If indeed you do fall into this latter, "ah, sure we'll go the flicks" group, then you will probably enjoy Benjamin Button. However, I can pretty much guarantee you that it will not end up on your "favourite movies" list. It is a well told, well written yarn. But ultimately there's not much to it. I couldn't help but say to myself afterwards, "yeah, so he ages backwards, big deal".

If, however, you fall into the first group - you will most likely be disappointed. This is not a major cinematic event. Rather, it is a half-decent film with some good special effects that will take up a few hours of your life. Any expectations of greatness will kill this film in your post-analysis.

The fact that Benjamin Button received 13 (yes, thirteen) Oscar Nominations is beyond belief. Yes, I can somewhat understand it getting nominated for the technical categories such as sound and special effect; but Best Actor, Best Picture, and Best Director? That's a bit much to be honest. And one viewing will tell you as much yourself.

Bard Pitt (a great actor who has played some phenomenal roles) is not stretched in Benjamin Button. In fact, it wouldn't have mattered in the slightest had this part had been played by any other actor. As for Best Picture, well, I've listed my views above - it's an average film, and that's pretty much it. And David Fincher has previously directed both Seven and Fight Club featuring Brad Pitt. If he didn't receive Best Director for either of those, then he doesn't deserve it for this.

To sum up, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a fairly enjoyable yarn. It is not in the same league a Forrest Gump, with which it has drawn comparrisons and shares the same scriptwriter. It will not blow you away, and ultimately you will come out saying casually to your fellow cinema-goer, as you surely have with so many average films before, "that was alright, wasn't it?".