Review of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) by Chads. — 28 Dec 2008

Dislocation is what piques our interest in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttons"; dislocation is the tool of all good science fiction. As a youth imprisoned in an old man's body, or a geezer returning to the womb, that's what distinguishes Benjamin(Brad Pitt) from other protagonists in epics that depict the life and times of the titular person.

But the film squanders too much time on this would-be carnival sideshow act during Benjamin's middle period, when the difference between his chronological age and his perceived age doesn't seem all that disparate.

Perhaps it's the fault of the actor for not conveying that gap; he plays Benjamin as being too comfortable in his own skin. In Penny Marshall's "Big", Josh's(Tom Hanks) actions belie his perceived age, most hillariously, when he takes the top bunk at a sleepover with his co-worker.

The Elizabeth Perkins character senses something is unusual about this guy. That's why "The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttons" drags. He seems too normal. Shouldn't this guy be touched by a little madness? There's nothing particularly maladjusted about Benjamin that the film can exploit for comic or dramatic purposes.

Lucky for Pitt, his leading lady(Cate Blanchett) more than picks up the slack. Daisy's capacity to love Benjamin romantically, then maternally, would have been made even more powerful if this staid exercise in science fiction were informed more by maverick instincts, than Oscar instincts.

Their relationship should be put through a similar bathtub test as Nicole Kidman and her partner in Jonathan Glazer's "Birth".