I’m not usually wowed by movie trailers. To be honest, most of them are pretty uninspired. They give a little (and often too much) of the plot away, throw in some punches and/or punchlines and are soon forgotten. But, while procrastinating working the other day, I stumbled upon something very curious. It was, in fact, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
The new fable of a film stars Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett. It is based on F. Scott Fitzgerald‘s short story by the same name about a man who ages backwards. Fascinating idea, fascinating trailer. But, as always, don’t take my word for it. [See the trailer in hi-def here.]
First of all, doesn’t that seem remarkably like a Tim Burton movie? But the movie is actually helmed by David Fincher, the man behind Se7en, Fight Club, Panic Room and Zodiac. Burton-esque overtones (and score) aside, Fincher has a real style of his own and he has chosen films that expose the dark underbelly of humankind’s propensity for violence. While we see a few graphic images of World War I in the trailer, the violence Fincher seems to be exploring in Benjamin Button is more of the emotional kind. Said Fincher of the project:
“It’s dark, it’s romantic, and it also deals with mortality in a pretty unflattering way. The guy is born in 1919 – with the film itself beginning in World War I, traveling around the world and carrying on all the way through to the year 2000.”
Pitt plays Benjamin, who is born at age 80. He meets and eventually falls in love with Blanchett’s character, Daisy. Seeing their characters’ progressions in the trailer alone is interesting.
First forwards with Daisy.
Then backwards with Benjamin.
Cool, huh?
Also cool is the stellar cast. Beside Pitt and Blanchett, Benjamin Button boasts a bevy of great actresses. They include Tilda Swinton, Julia Ormond and Taraji P. Henson. And playing young Daisy is Elle Fanning, Dakota’s little sister.
What I like about the trailer, aside from the dark fairytale tone and gorgeous period set pieces, is that it doesn’t give too much away. Yes, we know this man ages backward. Yes we know he falls for this woman. And in between that, well, that’s all the living yet to come — forwards or backwards.
So, are you as intrigued by this trailer as I am? I don’t know about you, but it makes me feel like an impatient kid again who keeps asking, “Is it Christmas yet?”
