#476: FINCHER, David: The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button (2008)
FINCHER, David (United States)
Commentary
Featuring director Fincher.
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button [2008]
Spine #476
Blu-ray
Blu-ray
"I was born under unusual circumstances . . ." Thus begins The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, the Academy Award-winning film starring Brad Pitt as a man who is born in his eighties and ages backward, and Cate Blanchett as the woman he is destined to love forever. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a monumental journey — as unusual as it is epic — that follows Benjamin's remarkable adventure of romance and redemption from the end of World War I through the twenty-first century. Directed by David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a powerful testament to life and death, love and loss.
165 minutes
Color
Color
5.1 Dolby Digital
2:40:1 aspect ratio
Criterion Release 2009
Director/Writers
From the short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
Screen story by Eric Roth and Robin Swicord.
Screenplay by Roth.
David Fincher was 46 when he directed The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
Other Fincher films in the Collection:
#627: The Game (1997)
The Film
Other Fincher films in the Collection:
#627: The Game (1997)
The Film
Fitzgerald's short story (from a collection entitled Tales of the Jazz Age) is a quick read; just 10,067 words.
Benjamin Button was born in 1860 in the Fitzgerald version; Fincher moved the entire timeline up by 60 years or so.
There is no denying the genius of Fitzgerald's prose:
"Far up the road the lights of the Shevlins' country house drifted into view, and presently there was a sighing sound that crept persistently toward them -- it might have been the fine plaint of violins or the rustle of the silver wheat under the moon."
There is no denying the genius of Fitzgerald's prose:
"Far up the road the lights of the Shevlins' country house drifted into view, and presently there was a sighing sound that crept persistently toward them -- it might have been the fine plaint of violins or the rustle of the silver wheat under the moon."
Details between source material and screenplay differ drastically; for example, Benjamin is born -- not as a crinkly-faced baby -- but as
" ... an old man apparently about seventy years of age. His sparse hair was almost white, and from his chin dripped a long smoke-coloured beard, which waved absurdly back and forth, fanned by the breeze coming in at the window ... there was no mistake -- he was gazing at a man of threescore and ten -- a baby of threescore and ten, a baby whose feet hung over the sides of the crib in which it was reposing ... the old man looked placidly from one to the other for a moment, and then suddenly spoke in a crackled and ancient voice, 'are you my father?'"
**
There’s no doubt this guy can direct.
This is a fine film — but it’s no Se7en (1995), Fight Club (1999) not even a The Game (1997) {Spine #627} …
Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett are marvelous, of course. The hair and makeup people get kudos for the de-aging process (Pitt looks a singer from a boy band at the end!)
Taraji P. Henson is also fantastic as Queenie.
From a slim Fitzgerald story, Fincher spun out a grand tale, but 165 minutes … that hair coulda used a trim …
The tech used to make this film (budget: $150M) is now standard. You can put anyone's face on anyone else's body with postproduction ease. In 2008, it was a novelty -- it seems that massive chunk of that budget was spent in post.
The tech used to make this film (budget: $150M) is now standard. You can put anyone's face on anyone else's body with postproduction ease. In 2008, it was a novelty -- it seems that massive chunk of that budget was spent in post.
**
"The character of Benjamin Button, as embodied by Peter Badalamenti, Robert Towers, Tom Everett, a host of makeup and visual effects and animation specialists, and above all by Pitt, is a remarkable creation. He is the withdrawn man who politely refrains from engagement until absolutely necessary ... he is the man who notes the passing of years, minutes, seconds of his own life with bewilderment, wonder, and sadness. Fincher has quietly built up this character over the years, with Morgan Freeman's ruminative detective in Se7en, Michael Douglas's recessive tycoon in The Game, Mark Ruffalo and Anthony Edwards's quietly contemplative cops in Zodiac. With Pitt, he achieves a character who not only breaks every dramatic rule in the screenwriting playbook but amounts to a potent and moving archetype."
Commentary
Featuring director Fincher.
Fantastic! Non-stop and full of filmmaking insights, as well as personal observations.
One example -- a funny story about how they had cast an actress to play Elizabeth Abbott, but neither Fincher nor Pitt were gung-ho about her.
Fincher told Pitt he'd give him five minutes to come up with a better name, or he'd just hire the lady.
Pitt called him back in 3 minutes, and said two words:
"Tilda Swinton."
Footage
One example -- a funny story about how they had cast an actress to play Elizabeth Abbott, but neither Fincher nor Pitt were gung-ho about her.
Fincher told Pitt he'd give him five minutes to come up with a better name, or he'd just hire the lady.
Pitt called him back in 3 minutes, and said two words:
"Tilda Swinton."
Footage
Revealing the innovative techniques behind the visual effects and makeup.
Step-by-step
Step-by-step
Examination of the motion-capture process aging Pitt.
In-depth
In-depth
Exploration of Fincher’s creative process on the set.
Interview
Interview
With composer Alexandre Desplat about the score.
Featurettes
Featurettes
On the film’s storyboards, costumes and art direction.
**
All of this is captured in an extra longer than the film itself, which is divided into sections called First Trimester, Second Trimester, Third Trimester -- in other words, Preproduction, Shooting, and Postproduction.
All of this is captured in an extra longer than the film itself, which is divided into sections called First Trimester, Second Trimester, Third Trimester -- in other words, Preproduction, Shooting, and Postproduction.
It almost overshadows the brilliance of the film, because you get to live out the making-of from A to Z.
Stills galleries
Stills galleries
Including costume designs and candid behind-the-scenes production photos.
Extras Rating (0-40):
Extras Rating (0-40):
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