128 out of 136 people found the following review helpful:

Forest Gump companion movie.

OttoParts from , 18th December, 2008

If you're the mood for a Forest Gump kind of movie, then this film will be perfect for you.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is penned by Forest Gump scribe Eric Roth and it shows. This film has exactly the same feel and sentiment as the Robert Zemeckis directed movie. The story is comes across in exactly the same way with the explanation heavy voice-over and the main character, Benjamin, literally in the eye of the storm of some of the most significant events of the 20th century.

Pitt and Blanchett are ideally cast. They breeze through the material. But it's more about good casting than it is career defing performances from these two. There is unanimous talent from all of the supporting cast too.

Benjamin Button is an obvious break away for director David Fincher, someone who has formed a near flawless career with some much darker material. My personal hope is that this is his 'one for the studio' film that would give him further license to carry on making films like Zodiac, Se7en and The Game. Though he's created yet another outstanding film with Bejamin Button, I feel there are a few other directors who would have made near enough the same film with this material... Oh well, at least it wasn't made by Ron Howard...

Read all highest rated reviews

45 out of 47 people found the following review helpful:

Yeah, it's ok...

A Customer from London, 24th February, 2009

It's long and I had a numb bottom by the end of it. That's the thing that stayed with me after leaving the cinema, above all else. The film itself is ok. Brad and Kate are good, but not particularly stretched by their roles - the CGI does most of that. The story is pretty predictable after the initial exposition. I found it a little annoying the extent to which the film makers tried to yank at the audience's heart strings throughout - the comparison to Forrest Gump has been made and it's that level of saccharine sweetness that you get here: something incredibly happy happens, then something incredibly sad happens, then something incredibly happy happens... The poor characters must be emotionally exhausted. You just want something average to happen to them e.g. Brad goes out to buy a sandwich and nothing good or bad happens, other than that the sandwich is satisfactory. Worth a watch, if you've already been to see Slumdog Millionaire and Milk and are at a loose end.

Read all highest rated reviews

39 out of 45 people found the following review helpful:

Two acting greats, brilliantly cast around predictable plot

wreeve from from London NW3, 9th January, 2009

I wasn't that excited to see this movie but there wasn't anything better on at my local cinema. The trailer suggested a bizarre but predictable plot, and it's length - over 2.5 hrs - put me off too. My wife and sister-in-law felt the same. But we all were pleasantly surprised by a beautifully executed movie. The plot is as simple as the trailer and one line synopsis suggests. Boy (who happens to be aging in reverse) meets girl (who ages normally). Or, in a little more detail (but no spoilers), little girl meets 'old man'; at some point they 'equilibriate'; then old lady deals with.... but I won't give anything away. However, several things were surprisingly delightful. The CGI/make-up, for one thing, is absolutely unbelievable. We were all stunned at how convincing the aging/youthing processes were on all the actors affected. Now, you might regard Brad Pitt as perfect just the way he is, without wanting to see him go thru the seven ages of man. But his performance at each age is terrific and we are reminded once again (Fight Club, Twelve Monkeys etc) how he is not just a pretty face. Kate Blanchette likewise is absolutely captivating. And their on-screen chemistry (or make-up, or whatever it is) was tear-jerking. This movie is not Fight Club or Elizabeth but that's not to denigrate it or the lead performances. The supporting cast are great too - particularly Julia Ormond and the 'black mama' (not sure who she is). If you're looking for a twist, or a Dorian Gray-like quasi thriller/horror, this is not your movie. If you're looking for some romantic drama, and don't mind a touch of the unusual, this is your movie. Or if you just want some traditional escapism with a simple story, beautifully told and tellingly acted, watch this film.

Read all highest rated reviews

28 out of 30 people found the following review helpful:

*** May contain spoilers ***

Too long with nothing to say (spoilers in 3rd paragraph)

A Customer from Lancashire, 19th February, 2009

Particularly considering the number of positive reviews, you'll see the movie anyway but don't be taken in! It is not as good as the hype would have you believe. Without the gimmick of Brad's character growing younger, this would be a story about two people who drift in and out of each others lives and have a love affair in their forties. In fact, even with the gimmick, that's all it amounts too. That Brad's character is born old and grows young just makes it weird - it doesn't add anything to the narrative (it actually hinders it as I've tried to explain below). Normal people are born, live, fall in (and out of) love and lose loved ones along the way before they die. So does Benjamin. His condition does not give him any unique insight which would make the gimmick worthy. Maybe I'm in a cynical mood but it just seems a means to drum up interest in a conventional, even dull, tale about two people which - the casting of Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett notwithstanding - noone would otherwise be particularly interested in seeing. If the producers wanted an effective weepie, they should have heightened the sense of heartache that Benjamin and Daisy supposedly have to suffer. The gimmick actually makes it difficult for the producers to convey that these are soulmates dealt a cruel blow by a quirk of nature. For the sake of taste, they couldn't be together when the physical age gap was decades (and - big problem - why would a girl be attracted to an apparent 70+ year old even if it is Brad Pitt?? We have to take it on faith that there is some mystic connection). They have, then, only about 15ish years in which to conduct a normal relationship. They spend the vast majority of their lives apart and having love affairs with others so the fact that they're supposed to be soulmates does not ring true. Okay, it's sad that they can't be together as Benjamin gets younger but it's not like they couldn't have forseen what was going to happen so why have the baby? The film just doesn't have anything to say in it's overlong 2.5 hours and in an attempt to make up for it, it finshes off with some weak guff about people being what they are. Yeah, so what? Every character in every film - in fact every person in the world - is what they are. There are better life affirming and/ or weepie films out there - when you've seen this one, don't say I didn't warn you...

Read all highest rated reviews

Benjamin Button

allypally from , 20th November, 2009

Really enjoyed this unusual story. Well acted and gripping despite longer than normal length.

Read all recent reviews

Bizarre, but it works

A Customer from Basingstoke, 19th November, 2009

When Benjamin is older, the film is not so entertainng, but as he gets 'younger', it becomes a good old fashioned love story and had me hooked. Superb acting from all the stars. I am glad I watched it.

Read all recent reviews

Gotta watch this film

Sibbers from , 19th November, 2009

What a great film. Intelligent, thought provoking and sensitive. Pitt is at his best. My best film for a year or so.

Read all recent reviews

Charming, but 15 minutes too long

TedA from , 18th November, 2009

Like many other reviewers, I found this film about 15 minutes, maybe 30 minutes, too long. However, I still found myself enjoying it. The two lead performances are perfectly cast; as is expected both Brad Pitt and particularly Cate Blanchett are excellent. Brad Pitt carries off the eponymous role with charm, wit and empathy whilst Cate Blanchett is beautiful to watch, bringing real emotion particularly towards the conclusion. David FIncher's direction is notable - you really feel at times that you are in the scenes with the characters. There are laugh-out-loud moments as well as moving scenes and the whole fairy-tale is wonderful to watch unravel. If only it could have been a little shorter, it could well have got 4.5 or even 5 stars from me.

Read all recent reviews