Jan 06 2009
Benjamin, unbuttoned
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button ” kept a huge number of special effects technician employed during production, but other than that, what was the point of this shameless exercise in heart-string tugging? Director David Fincher did a terrific job on the tightly focused 2007 “Zodiac ,” a true-life crime drama with an equally long running time. That these two films are as different as can be is evident from the subject matter. “Benjamin Button,” a fairy tale that offers platitudes on aging and death and is a thinly veiled remake of “Forrest Gump,” looks all the weaker when compared with the crime drama about the hunt for a notorious serial killer. It’s evident where Fincher’s heart and strengths lie, and it’s all the more incredible that in a moment of bad judgment he accepted this oddball and unappealing assignment.
