Based on an acclaimed short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, written in 1922, The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button is the latest film from director David Fincher (Zodiac). It stars Brad Pitt as the eponymous hero; a man who is born as a geriatric baby and proceeds to age backwards. Needless to say, this causes huge problems, particularly when Benjamin falls in love with a 30-year-old woman called Daisy (Cate Blanchett)...
This film has rocketed to the top of my must-see list. Everything about it ticks boxes for me. David Fincher is one of my favourite directors, I really enjoy watching Pitt in movies, Blanchett is talented and gorgeous, the short story is wonderful, and everything about this trailer looks perfect. The high-concept idea is immediately intriguing, the early-20th century setting gives it a certain fairy tale charm, the whole aesthetic sees Fincher on fresh ground, and I love the choice of music -- Aquarium from "The Carnival Of The Animals" by French composer Camille Saint Saëns. Gorgeous.
And just look at the excellent supporting cast: Tilda Swinton, Jason Flemyng, Elias Koteas, Julia Ormond and Elle Fanning. Benjamin Button reeks of quality and I'm already predicting it'll be the finest Christmas film and in with a chance come Oscar time next year. Best Picture? Who knows. Some have already suggested it's this year's Forrest Gump, but with fantasy trappings. However you want to categorize it, all I know is the trailer's haunting, bewitching, extraordinary and spine-tingling stuff.
"It's dark, it's romantic, and it also deals with mortality in a pretty unflattering way. Button is born in 1919 -- with the film itself beginning in World War I, travelling around the world and carrying on all the way through to the year 2000." -- David Fincher
The last time Fincher teamed up with Brad Pitt, the result was Fight Club ('99) –- a film years ahead of its time, and a personal favourite of mine. Seeing them tackle something romantic, resonant, fantastical and (likely) heart-breaking makes Benjamin Button one to watch...
Release Date: 19 December 2008 (US)
HD Download: Hi-Res (17MB), 480P (30MB), 720P (72MB) & 1080P (122MB)
