We’re past the half-way stage in this countdown and we’re getting down to the nitty-gritty. Each one of the movies left is cinema at it’s absolute finest. Today brings us to another of the movies to score big nominations in the last Oscar ceremony. A monumental story and a superb film it absolutely deserves inclusion in my list.
The 12th best movie of 2009 is…
Telling the fanciful tale of a man who ages backwards in time The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is an interesting film. Born on the same day World War I ended, Benjamin Button’s mother dies in childbirth. An old, wrinkled new-born, he is abandoned by his horrified father Thomas Button on the doorstep of an old folk’s home. Benjamin fits in well for, despite his young age, he looked as old as most of the residents. However this man-boy is growing younger not older as he ages. Early on, he meets the love of his life, Daisy, a beautiful red-haired, green-eyed child who grows into a beautiful woman while Benjamin grows into a handsome young man. But can their love survive the test of time and Benjamin’s unique condition?
Why it is worthy: Anchored by one of Brad Pitt’s finest performances this is a movie all about emotion. Benjamin is a man unhappy in his own skin, abandoned by those meant to protect him and cast into a cruel and unforgiving world. Pitt carries this emotions, this internal struggle and uses it to power his performance, every word, every move is perfect and carries weight and impetus. His innate good humour allow him to accept his fate and it is here, with the introduction of Cate Blanchett’s Daisy that Pitt really comes into his own, a charismatic, touching and poignant figure. Blanchett adds her own grace, beauty and intelligence to her role and, despite their unusual relationship, you can feel the affection that she has for Benjamin. Director David Fincher’s hand is felt everywhere from the lighting of certain scenes to the smallest details such as fixtures and fittings, everything is done for a particular reason. This attention to detail and exquisite craftsman make this movie feel very much like a labour of love. Donald Graham Burt’s period design is absolutely beautiful, while Claudio Miranda’s cinematography is a stunning palette of subdued earthen colours which serve to add warmth to the tale.
Fatal flaws: Time is the enemy of love in this movie and it’s also the enemy of the movie. Clocking in at just 13 minutes shy of 3 hours it’s perhaps too long. Depicting the life of a man from beginning to end does carry with it a certain burden, given the time constraints what should you leave in and out? Certain scenes feel hurried, whilst others are long drawn-out affairs. The plot too, lifted from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s short story of the same name, misses some of the sharpness that the original text possessed. Fitzgerald’s Button had the cantankerous nature of an 80 year old man when born but that is missing from this movie. Comparison in the goody-two-shoes nature of the film with that of screenwriter Eric Roth’s previous movie Forrest Gump are obvious. That too was a wide-eyed fanciful story of one man and his life. It’s whimsical at times too, and if you’re not drawn in to the story you will find it tedious and boring. That is unlikely to happen though as the movie wrapped you up in a warm blanket of heart and emotion and squeezes you tight.
Verdict: Epic storytelling from an epic storyteller, if not matching the levels of Seven and Zodiac then certainly worthy of inclusion in their canon. Great performances from Pitt and Blanchett make this an absolute must see.
The Countdown
25. This Is It
24. Adventureland
23. Drag Me To Hell
22. Anvil
21. In the Loop
20. Watchmen
19. The Hangover
18. Coraline
17. Public Enemies
16. (500) Days of Summer
15. Harry Brown
14. The Wrestler
13. Fantastic Mr. Fox
No. It’s better than Slumdog. There. I said it. No takesiebacksies.