My first introduction to The Curious Case of Benjamin Button by F. Scott Fitzgerald was a graphic novelization illustrated by Kevin Cornell, whose blog, bearskinrug, i have linked to in the past. Unbeknownst to me, not being as in tune with the glitzy world of film production as Andy is, the story has been made into a movie set to open on Christmas Day.
Last night Andy and i got to see a sneak preview of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett.
Clocking in at roughly 2:40, the film could stand a little judicious editing, but the acting and effects were quite good.
Brad Pitt plays Benjamin Button, a man born old who ages backwards. Three other actors were used for Benjamin's early life, but Brad Pitt's face was superimposed on them, making a strange, sometimes fuzzy, effect. Cate Blanchett's character, Daisy, on the other hand, ages normally, and conventional techniques of using younger actors without effects were employed for her.
The movie keeps the central idea of reverse aging from the original short story, but many of the events of Benjamin's life in the film are the result of the screenwriters' imagination, not Fitzgerald's. This is not surprising given that Fitzgerald wrote his story in the 1920s, but the film spans almost a century starting from the end of World War I. It's an engaging film, but i wouldn't say it's a great film; there are too many extraneous bits, and Brad Pitt's southern accent from Interview with the Vampire is just annoying. It is, however, a good way to kill three hours on Christmas Day.
