Based on a short story by F Scott Fitzgerald, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button spans close to ninety years, multiple continents and is very long. Presumably the film's makers have elaborated somewhat on Fitzgerald's story.
It is an atmospheric film focusing on the visual and its images are often beautiful. I found the softly delivered accented dialogue a bit difficult to follow at times but the story moved so slowly I rarely felt that I was missing anything.
Both Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett have plenty of opportunity to dazzle with their beauty, he as he grows younger and she as she ages. Without giving too much away, Cate also appears in aged form from the outset to enable the story to be told in flashback. Tilda Swinton is delicious in a small but significant role.
I thought that the best sequence in the film was a montage in Paris reflecting on the role of fate in our lives. Tellingly this scene is the fastest paced in what otherwise is a leisurely paced film.
An interesting and, yes, curious film.
This film sounds intriguing to me. I'll see it either at the theatre or via Netflix.
ReplyDeleteI loved it much more than I anticiapted.
ReplyDeleteTilda was fantastic - great to see her not be so harsh in a movie for a change.
Certainly bought some tears to my eyes several times.