Apparently I missed the news for this one, but…The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was released by the Criterion Collection.
Really?
It was a good film, but I’m rather surprised that Criterion would not only be able to acquire such a huge blockbuster award-winner from the studio, but even include the film in their series considering, you know, it’s not that great or unique. I dunno. They also put out Armageddon on Criterion, so I guess they can be a bit unpredictable from time to time.
Criterion has posted an essay on the film, by Kent Jones, which admittedly gives a solid insight into the film and may indicate why they chose it for the series.
The jubilation of New Orleans on Armistice Day is just as fleeting as Benjamin at his physical peak soaring across the countryside on his motorcycle. And the film’s beautifully measured pace, set like Pitt’s performance to New Orleans time, never stops to linger over this or that technical achievement. Fincher stays true to the character and the story and the movie, and to his own bracingly frank understanding of the reality of time, from first moment to last.
