The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)

The first time I saw THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON was in 1994 when, at that time, it was called "Forrest Gump." I liked it a lot better then.

I always got upset when people would rip on "Forrest Gump" because they thought it was too far-reaching of a fable about all of the grand themes of life. They found it, I guess, to be TOO sentimental and argued that it was too obvious about some of the big themes of life. And yet, I still have a soft-spot for the film.

Now, 14 years later, I know exactly what those people were talking about. Despite my love for David Fincher as a director, the excellent acting and the amazing technical elements of this film (most of which were nominated for Oscars), I was bored stiff by BENJAMIN BUTTON. I was shifting in my seat, scratching my skin and pulling on my hair. I think I even slapped myself in the face a few times to try and stay in it. But, sadly, I never connected.

Roger Ebert said something that I disagreed with when I read his review of this film. He complained about the fact that the main character ages in reverse. He said that it felt "simply wrong." But now that I've seen the movie for myself, I agree with him completely. For me, it did not work. Yes, I know the film is fantasy. So was "Crash," if you think about it. A dozen strangers having their lives intersect so perfectly in one day in a huge city like Los Angeles? And yet that one worked for me because of the characters and the true emotion behind it.

Some fantasies work and some do not.

Eric Roth, the screenwriter, must have written this script with an eraser instead of a pencil. It seems to me like there are so many transfers from "Forrest Gump" that he simply changed names. The southern boy born with seemingly insurmountable handicaps and the loving mother who encourages him to defy them. The girl he meets at a young age and falls in love with who inexplicably stays with him (in a roundabout way) throughout his life, whether you believe their connection or not. The guy on a boat who teaches him something and the black friend. Time spent in the military. I could go on.

David Fincher is a fantastic director. He made "Seven," "Fight Club," "Panic Room" and "Zodiac," all of which I thoroughly enjoyed. What, I wonder, did he see of himself in BENJAMIN BUTTON? It's like having Quentin Tarantino filming a Trollope novel.

I don't get it, and I don't get why it worked for so many viewers. I'm sure that those of you who loved THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON found some message about the nature of love, life and death that resonated with you. I'm sure that if any of that had clicked with me, I'd have loved it as well. Sadly, all I got was a beautifully-crafted, fantastically art-directed film with nowhere near the soul befitting the New Orleans setting of the film. A disappointment.

1.5 out of 4