The Red Right Hand
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THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
Life Isn't Measured In Minutes, But In Moments

Director
David Fincher

Starring
Brad Pitt
Cate Blanchett
Tilda Swinton

Based on the short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button tells the tale of a baby born in 1918 with all the infirmities of old age. Horrified, his father abandons him outside a retirement home to be discoveried by one of the young orderlies, Queenie [Taraji P. Henson], who takes him in as her own. As time passes, Benjamin's [Pitt] illnesses and health improves, all the while treated as an older gentleman and no different from the other elderly residents; it is around this time that he meets Daisy [Blanchett] and becomes instantly enamoured. The plot drives on for another two hours, chronicling Benjamin's time aboard a tug-boat, his brief stint in World War II and his eventual travelling of the globe, all the while getting younger with each passing day. I realise this is an incredibly brief summary but this film houses such a great deal that I could easily get wound up recalling every event. There are, however, massive plot differences between the film and the original short story. Namely we have the process of ageing; in the film Button goes from a progeria-esque baby with an infant's mind to a young boy with an old man's dementia-riddled mind. In the book, however, Button was born an old man, fully able to speak and comprehend English and aged backwards both mentally and physically. There are also other enormous changes such as the fact that he was raised by his parents, that Daisy is named Hildegarde and that he only meets up with her once but these matters are somewhat irrelevant.

Now, these are comparisons I don't actually want to make but the tone and style of this film are not only very similar to David Fincher's previous works but also Forrest Gump and Un Long Dimanche De Fiancailles [A Very Long Engagement]. The reason I didn't particularly want that printed is because every moron walks out of this film criticising it for regurgitating Forrest Gump in an attempt to snatch awards. If you remove the humour, the similarities become fairly clear: you have your angelic lead who grows up different from other children, protected by his mother figure. During his adolescence he meets a girl that he falls hopelessly in love with and they continually reunite throughout the story; then the lead goes off and travels the world, fights a war, learns, grows, blah blah. There are also many moments of flowing consciousness, bordering on quirky that closely resemble the storytelling mentality of French director Jean-Pierre Jeunet. But these comparisons are minimal and not meant to be in any way critical, I am simply attempting to give you an idea of the visual and writing styles.

But I'm digressing here, there are three main highlights that need to be addressed as they are the core selling points. First we have the acting, largely carried by Blanchett and Pitt, both of whom are incredible actors with a wealth of talent and get the opportunity to display a great deal of it on screen. Then there's the production design, as the plot flitters back and forth between New Orleans, Paris and St. Petersburg throughout various periods of time. And finally, the make-up and effects that are such an astounding wonder to behold and exceptionally well-done. Everyone is making a fuss over the time and money spent in ageing both our leads (and rightly so, for the outcome is truly praiseworthy) but to be brutally honest, I'm never hugely impressed with make up that makes actors look older, simply because cinema has been doing it since the twenties. Making people look convincingly younger, on the other hand, is an effect that I have been praising to the rooftops. Blanchett's beautiful and retained her looks and as such, you don't need to do a lot to make her look young but Pitt is now pushing mid-forties and yet in one or two scenes he looks exactly the way he did in A River Runs Through It, it's incredible! I know most may not appreciate this effect as much as me but having seen how ridiculous it looked in X-Men 3: The Last Stand, it's nice to see it finally done well and I look forward to the possibilities it will present.

I would like to close, not by highlighting any negative points but by addressing possible concerns mainstream viewers may have - which is unusually hospitable of me, I know. First of all there's the long running time and what could be argued slightly confusing timeline (the amount of brain-dead fools who are going to spout 'too long' and 'too boring' is a nauseating prospect). This film is no longer than it needs to be; yes, it's two and three quarter hours long but you are trying to chronicle a man's entire life and his thoughts on it through diary entries, it's going to take time. There's also the issue of it being 'boring.' This is just a problem with modern audiences who require all films to be fast, gripping and to not last too long (I'm sure there's some sort of sexual euphemism in there somewhere, have at it) but these audiences have never understood the medium of cinema and just see it as a way to pass an hour and a half as opposed to the art form that it can be. Finally, there's the realism factor. Button's ageing deformity/disease/ailment is never discussed or explained scientifically and as such people will no doubt let out cries of 'that's so unrealistic!' This may be true but at the same time, it is not necessary to the story, it's a device that allows us to draw a parallel for our own fickle, material prejudices and obsessions. We allow age to be a crutch or an excuse which we fall back on whenever an opportunity is rejected out of fear. Then there's the aspect of missed opportunities. I personally didn't pick up on this one but a lady at the screening was warbling about how many elements were set up but never paid off. It took me a few minutes to reply and really come to the conclusion that this was somewhat intentional; life is like that. The chance encounters of our lives, the ones that shape who we are aren't always over-dramatised as they're depicted in films; sometimes people just meet up with strange individuals, experience things, learn more about themselves and grow. As it is, Benjamin Button is a delightful film that gives the audience plenty to mull over if they give it the time and respect it requires and deserves.

Release Date:
6th February 2009

The Scene To Look Out For:
**Spoilers, spoilers, spoilers**
Part of me is desperate to highlight the subtle quirks such as the story of the creation of the clock that runs backward or the intermittent footage of one of the residents getting struck by lightning seven times or even the tale of Daisy's accident in France but to do so may possibly detract from the heart of the film. Instead I would like to highlight Button's return and brief sexual encounter with Daisy in the 80's. Sitting on the bed, with the youthful body of a twenty year old, Button watches Daisy dressing herself, noting the sag of her skin and the lines about her body, all the while with an expression on his face as if to indicate that he simply does not care about them and sees only the women he loves. The only one uncomfortable is Daisy and the reason I've highlighted that scene is because all women fear getting old and more worryingly looking old whereas most kind-hearted men (not the vacuous pricks who think with their minuscule pricks) genuinely don't care about the shallow superficialities of visible youth. I'm sure I'll get a fair few disagreeing emails about this one but it's a point I genuinely believe and it was nice to see it on screen.

Notable Characters:
**Sort of spoilers in here**
For reasons I may get emailed complaints about, I enjoyed Blanchett's performance as Daisy. In truth, the acting was fantastic by all but I was particularly taken with Blanchett's immersion into such an unforgiving role. First of all, we have a character with a clear split who initially acts immaturely and selfishly as a young lady in mistreating the saintly Button, only to turn audiences around and demonstrate a wisdom and passion in her later years. I realise that may sound like a stupid observation but to play such an influential and pivotal focal point for our lead male without coming off as annoying and trampy like Forrest Gump's beloved Jenny is a tremendously difficult thing to achieve.

Highlighted Quote:
"Benjamin, we're meant to lose the people we love. How else would we know how important they are to us?"

In A Few Words:
"Deep film with an agonisingly beautiful message"

Total Score:
9/10


Matthew Stogdon