Our third stop on the Fincher Fest train brings us to David Fincher’s 2008 drama, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.” Fincher outdid himself on this film, combining all elements available to him from tried and true practical elements through state-of-the-art digital effects – not to mention countless top-notch performances – to create an astounding period film about an astounding person who is born old and ages backward. We discuss the journey this F. Scott Fitzgerald story took to get to the silver screen – a long one that at one point had Frank Oz slated to direct it and Martin Short to star as Benjamin! We chat about watching Benjamin Button, played by Brad Pitt in one of his best performances, age backward and the unreal makeup work done to pull it off, not just for him but for all the characters in the film. We talk about the themes this story is hitting upon and why it works so well, and we discuss the immense amount of money put into getting this film made and how Fincher managed to pull it all off and still turn it into a profitable film. The film won 3 Academy Awards and was nominated for an amazing 13 Academy Awards (though it should have been 14 as Cate Blanchett, who didn’t get a nomination as Best Actress, has never been better!). Join us as we dig into this gorgeous film!
CORRECTION: In reviewing the list of accolades toward the end of this episode, Pete lists Benjamin Button as receiving a Best Actress nomination. Taraji P. Henson was nominated, though did not win, for Best Supporting Actress. Apologies for any confusion. We still contend that Cate Blanchett should have won something. Seriously.
New Words & Lists
- New word: Diablo Cody-itis
