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Created Dec 26, 2008 05:17PM PST • Edited Mar 05, 2021 09:44PM PST

1. Quality

2. Summary

   Great 4.0

   Literature hits the silver screen in this big budget movie that works as both romance and parable. More personal though less interesting than Forrest Gump, its closest cinematic relative, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button nonetheless delivers an affecting cinematic experience.

   Whereas the great Gump was an allegory for the cultural journey of the American generation that came of age during the 60s, CC-BB serves more as a meditation on love and loss, focusing in particular on the need to live in the present because “You never know what’s coming for you,” as Benjamin’s mother often tells him. Wiser words were never spoken, and rarely presented in such entertaining fashion.

4. Acting

   Great 4.0

   Benjamin Button instantly becomes one of Brad Pitt’s signature roles: The character’s reserved persona approximates the actor’s diffident one. Like the actor, Benjamin comes across a terrific fellow with a weak personality. Pitt thus needn’t stretch to play this part, unlike his co-star Cate Blanchett or Forrest Hanks.

   For fans of Pitt’s physical attractions, the movie does a fetchingly slow reveal of his matinee idol looks. Spending the first hour as a wrinkly old codger, he finally cuts several to-die-for figures: cruising Brando-esque on his motorcycle, sailing Kennedy-esque on his sloop, frolicking with Cate Blanchett. Gals, prepare to go weak in the knees. Guys, this is high quality date movie material.

   The great Cate virtually personifies stellar movie acting. She doesn’t disappoint here, displaying a wide range of personas over the course of the movie: from impetuous twenty-something to wounded thirty-something to fulfilled forty-something to wizened old woman. Though that’s not Cate narrating from her death bed. Thankfully.

   The rest of the cast fails to impress, other than Taraji P. Henson. As Benjamin’s adoptive mother Queenie, Henson jumps offscreen: strong, faithful and unfailingly maternal. This actress deserves bigger roles.

5. Male Stars Great 4.0

6. Female Stars Really Great 4.5

7. Female Costars Good 3.0

8. Male Costars Good 3.0

10. Film

    Great 4.0

    The razzle dazzle never overwhelms the story, thanks to David Fincher’s accomplished directing and Eric Roth’s assured screenplay. In large part that is because the filmmakers wisely limit themselves to a single Reality Factor conceit: Benjamin’s reverse aging. Given that aging is the most common human experience, this focuses the story on its characters and their relationships, making it easy for the audience to relate.

11. Direction Great 4.0

    Master film stylist David Fincher branches out from his usual macho violent fare in heartening fashion here, though thankfully his trademark command of state-of-the-art CG continues to be put to excellent use. While not the masterpiece that is his Fight Club, CC-BB nonetheless stands as a supremely accomplished film, and marks a new found maturity for this famously rock n’ roll director.

12. Play Great 4.0

    Starting from an F. Scott Fitzgerald short story, Forrest Gump screenwriter Eric Roth created a cohesive fantasy that is leavened by effective bits of humor. For instance, never have seven bolts of lightening been so funny.

    That said, will this screenplay earn Roth a second Oscar to go with the one he won for Gump? No.

13. Music Great 4.0

14. Visuals Great 4.0
15. Content

16. Edge

    Tame 1.4

17. Sex Titillating 1.6

18. Violence Fierce 1.6

19. Rudeness Polite 1.1

21. Reality

    Surreal 2.2

    I’m choosing to judge Benjamin’s bioreality as Surreal (3x normal), just this side of Supernatural. Obviously this could be judged much higher, Supernatural or even Fantasy. However, I decided on Surreal because other than aging backwards, his biology is not otherwise abnormal, nor is any other character’s biology abnormal. Thus the movie doesn’t ask the viewer to accept the same level of disbelief as many fantasy or action movies nowadays.

22. Circumstantial Glib 1.4

23. Biological Surreal 3.0

24. Physical Natural 1.0