Review: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Review: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Rating: **1/2

Nonna's Rating: $$$

Rotten Tomatoes: 72%

I'm going to play the contrarian here. I honestly don't understand all the accolades piled on this film. I'm not saying it's a bad film-- it is entertaining. It's worth the price of a matinee ticket -- but you won't miss much if you wait a few months and rent it. It's another film with big stars and a big budget that just doesn't quite make it. I confess, with a certain amount of embarrassment, that I fell asleep for about 20 minutes in the middle of the movie. I wasn't tired; I was bored. I missed the whole Tilda Swinton section--and I understand her performance was a highlight. Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett did deliver competent performances. Taraji Henson,who has been nominated for Best Supporting Actress, transformed her rather traditional role as Button's adoptive mother into a an above average performance.

Many critics have written about the lyrical, fairy tale quality of the film -- that it somehow "washes over you in an almost hypnotic way" (Mike McGranaghan, The Aisle Seat). Unfortunately for me, so hypnotic I fell asleep. There definitely is a fairy tale aspect to this movie, but it doesn't come anywhere near the magical fairy tale quality of a film like Big Fish. Button is one of those big budget, big star movies that somehow misses the mark. Some critics have praised the film because it reminds viewers of their own mortaility and goads them into recognition of how precious are the seemingly insignificant moments of their lives. Perhaps -- but the movie is ultimately manipulative and deftly crafted to push our buttons.

Nonna's Ratings:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it