The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

So, it turns out there is still such a thing as a movie star. Brad Pitt gives the performance of his life in one of the oddest, most fascinating, and best movies I have seen in a long time. David Fincher's haunting and beautiful The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is the best film of the year, and I can't believe it took me this long to see it.

The story is, by now, well known. Pitt is born with a strange deformity: he has the body of an 80 year old man who proceeds to age in reverse. The fantastic make up and special effects make this transformation as believable as it could possibly be, but it is really Pitt's performance that allows you to forget the elaborate technical trickery. Even in a cast of great actors like Cate Blanchett (looking absolutely gorgeous by the way), Tilda Swinton, and Taraji Henson (who deserved the Oscar nod as much as anyone) a film like this needed a performance from a star actor to make it work. Pitt loses himself completely in the role, following a pattern of really outstanding performances in the last few years, from Babel to Burn After Reading. While he always had talent, I think he didn't know what kind of actor he wanted to be. Was he the hip, cool guy from the Ocean's franchise, or the action/fantasy hero of Troy? Well, turns out, he's just great. Keep picking these kinds of films, Brad. They suit you.

Really, the story is almost incidental in terms of what the film is actually trying to accomplish. While it is ostensibly about Benjamin's travels through life, the main focus of the film is on the people with whom he interacts. Benjamin is the mirror through which every other character sees themselves. As a result of his condition, he is only briefly the center of their lives, but changes them in profound ways.

Known for films like Se7en, Fight Club, and Zodiac, Fincher's epic seems almost out of place. Really, though, only Fincher could have made Button work. It is his eye for cynicism and even the macabre that keeps the film from descending into sentimental hogwash. In fact, I'd argue that Button is a profoundly sad film. As Benjamin says, "Nothing lasts."

I was surprised that Button garnered so many Oscar nominations. Having now seen it, though, I can't argue for any other film this year to win Best Picture, not even The Dark Knight. It is an amazing journey through time and a fascinating mediation on loss. If you haven't seen it, go now. If you have, go again.