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Very Early Buzz on Fincher's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

by Alex Billington
January 1, 2008

One of the movies that was mentioned in our article about Why 2008 Will Be An Awesome Year was The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. The film is the latest from David Fincher, the director of Fight Club and Zodiac. Everyone knows (or should know) that Fincher is a phenomenal filmmaker, from the visuals and camerawork in his films to his storytelling and rich characters. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button tells the story of Benjamin Button, played by Brad Pitt, a man who starts aging backwards (from old to young) with bizarre consequences. You probably haven't heard of it yet, because it hasn't started its marketing, but an early reaction from a woman who was a costume designer on the film has practically started the buzz.

From Jeffrey Wells' Hollywood Elsewhere comes an e-mail from one of his long-timer readers. Although hardly anyone can be trusted these days, this does sound quite legit (and not too over-the-top). If it is the truth, then this certainly gets me excited for Benjamin Button, almost more than most movies this year.

"A friend of my wife's who is a costume designer was back in Pittsburgh visiting family over the holidays. During her visit we were discussing interesting projects she is or will be working on, and she said she's unequivocally excited about her latest film -- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button."

"Top to bottom she said the set and production was a dream, that both David Fincher and Brad Pitt were consummate professionals, and that the script was top-notch -- the only script she can recall making her cry, she said. She added that the look and scope of design of the film while ambitious is also intricate and exacting."

"Furthermore, she mentioned that some of the sequences they saw that had been edited were absolutely stunning. Her description of the mood of those who worked on it is that of bated breath -- a near universal belief that they have made an outstanding and moving film, one that transcends and one they wish not to jinx by too much loose talk."

"I take this with more than a passing interest as she has worked on Traffic, all of the Ocean's movies, Solaris and Miami Vice."

"My point is that she has been on top-notch productions and is not prone to be star struck or taken aback by every project she works on. However, in this case, she thinks this will be one of the highlights of her career."

The film is an adaptation from a 1922 short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The script was written by Oscar-winning screenwriter Eric Roth, of Forrest Gump, Munich, and The Good Shepherd. Fitzgerald noted that "This story was inspired by a remark of Mark Twain's to the effect that it was a pity that the best part of life came at the beginning and the worst part at the end." The story was recently re-released this year in the form of a book in preparation for the film - you can find it on Amazon.com.

I couldn't imagine a better story for David Fincher to take on than one based around a saying like that. Just look at what he did with Fight Club! That email above has definitely shot my interest up from relatively mild to extreme and now I'm anxiously awaiting the next news on Benjamin Button, whether it's a just picture or the trailer.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is currently set to arrive in theaters on November 26th.

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Related categories: Hype, Movie News