The Curious Case of Benjamin Button — The Criterion Collection

Mr. Button’s eyes followed her pointing finger, and this is what he saw. Wrapped in a voluminous white blanket, and partly crammed into one of the cribs, there sat an old man apparently about seventy years of age. His sparse hair was almost white, and from his chin dripped a long, smoke-coloured beard which waved absurdly back and forth, fanned by the breeze coming in at the window. He looked up at Mr. Button with dim, faded eyes in which lurked a puzzled question.
– From the F. Scott Fitzgerald story, “Benjamin’s Birth”

David Fincher’s movies have bite. From The Game to Fight Club to Zodiac, they deal with rather vicious subject matter…but not 2008’s The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. While the situation may be cruel — a man born old, aging in reverse and then dying young — the way in which it’s handled is delicate, beautiful, romantic and magical. Who knew Fincher had such a tender heart?

The story comes from one of the jazz era’s greatest novelists, F. Scott Fitzgerald. It’s a bit of an anomaly for him too. One thing of Fitzgerald: it’s usually in connection to driving plot (The Great Gatsby, The Last Tycoon) than pure fantasy.

But put Fincher and Fitzgerald together, and you’ve got an epic drama that not only stirs the soul but prods the mind. Starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, surely our generation’s two greatest actors, it’s impossible to ignore the power of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, made more irresistible still by the fact it’s on Blu-ray and stamped with The Criterion Collection seal of approval.

Although some of the movie was shot on 35mm film, most of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was shot digitally (on the Viper FilmStream and Sony F23 digital cameras). The CGI done on the faces of the characters to show them aging and getting younger holds its own nicely, even to home viewing on an HDTV. On his solo commentary, Fincher talks about the difficulties of undertaking this unprecedented challenge — the trickiest bits, he reveals, are the scenes in which the people are walking. A perfectionist to the nth degree, Fincher frets about such things as flyaway hairs and dress seams that won’t stay straight, but his commentary is interesting if you are into the technical aspect of filmmaking. He doesn’t share many “personal” stories, aside from anecdotal ones (how Tilda Swinton was brought on board to play Benjamin’s first sexual love affair, for instance).

In addition to the commentary, there are several making-of featurettes, and a booklet with production notes and an article about the film by author/documentary filmmaker Kent Jones.

Bride Wars — Blu-ray

Do you watch reality TV shows like Bridezillas or Whose Wedding Is It Anyway? If so, then Bride Wars was tailor-made for you. Me, I have never seen any of those programs, and movies about weddings tend to get my taffeta in a twist. However, with likable actresses Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway as the two blustering brides, I was willing to give the flick a look on DVD.

The story follows best friends Liv and Emma, polar opposites who somehow manage to find common ground…but when that common ground takes literal shape as New York’s Plaza Hotel on their (same) wedding days, it’s wartime! Now that their relationship has turned uglier than a lime green bridesmaid dress, each one-ups the other with sabotage until the bitter end.

Is Bride Wars a stupid, formulaic, sexist comedy? Yes. Do I admit it’s kind of a guilty pleasure? I do!

The Punisher: War Zone — Blu-ray

Unlike the dated Dolph Lundgren version of The Punisher or Thomas Jane’s PG-13 Frank Castle as-the-man portrayal, Ray Stevenson metes out the penalties and he does it with hard-R, unrelenting elan. What’s more, his arch-rival Jigsaw (Dominic West, who’s channeling any and every bad guy from Dick Tracy) brings the pain like a Saw movie villain in this flick. And his accent is so arch, he makes Cesar Romero’s Joker look timid.

Jigsaw’s awful antics are aided by his wacky but beloved “blood” brother, James, aka, Loony-Bin Jim, played tic-chic and tongue-in-cheek by Doug Hutchison. Then there are Jigsaw’s vile and various henchmen. Between the good guy and bad guys, bullets are flying like hailstones from hell, and the body count quickly becomes high enough to rival any three Sam Peckinpaugh movies (or Death Wish III).

From a visual standpoint, it is reminiscent of such neon-tinged sci-fi lovelies as A Clockwork Orange, Blade Runner, and Repo! The Genetic Opera. Blu-ray serves this movie very, very well. Popping with bursts of bright yellows, vivid greens and giddy purples, even the shadowy, noir-like setting of a cathedral’s pew-lined interior looks like something Fellini might have dreamed of…while on acid.