Blu-Ray Review:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
By Jason Gillard
*Screenshots are not from the Blu-Ray source.
Movie
Benjamin Button was one of those films that when I saw the first trailer for it I was really interested. It had an unusual story and one of my favorite directors David Fincher was behind it. For some reason though I never made it out to the theater to see it, during it's theatrical run. The movie takes place in a New Orleans hospital on the day of Hurricane Katrina. Daisy Williams is on her deathbed and she asks her daughter Caroline to read her the diary of her life long friend Benjamin Button. In Benjamin's diary he talks about ever aspect of his extraordinary life. Benjamin was born with several aging diseases and is aging backwards. So everyone around him is getting older while he is getting younger. When Benjamin is born he is abandoned by his father as his mother dies giving birth to him. He ends up getting taken in by Queenie who works as a care giver at a seniors home. That is where Benjamin meets Daisy. Even though Benjamin and Daisy are separated through the years, they end up getting together in their 40's when there ages actually match up. This story is quite interesting. It's about life and death, but it's also about what defines a person while growing up. I thought it was fantastic and something everyone should experience at least once.
9 out of 10
Video
Benjamin Button arrives on blu-ray with a fantastic looking 1080p transfer in it's original aspect ratio of 2.40:1. Going by the insert that came with the disc, the movie was shot almost entirely with digital cameras with a small portion shot with 35mm film. So most of the footage was never transferred to celluloid. So you can imagine that this transfer has the potential to be pristine. The good news is that Criterion has given us an absolutely gorgeous transfer. From the opening logos which are buttons falling from the sky you realize you are in for a treat. With more and more film makers choosing to shoot digitally the transfers of these films are getting more and more impressive. Detail is astounding. Button's wrinkles come across with startling clarity and considering the fact that he is growing younger before our very eyes, it is fascinating to watch. There are a lot of dark scenes in this movie and the black levels are solid throughout. Whenever we see scenes with brighter colours the film just jumps off the screen. Characters have very well rendered flesh tones and never look over saturated. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button has a fantastic transfer and Criterion has done a great job bringing this movie to Blu-ray.
10 out of 10
Audio
Criterion treats to a wonderful DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. Everything sounds fantastic. Since Benjamin is doing the narrating he comes across clear and legible no matter what is happening in the scene. Effects come from all channels but they are mostly there to create believability in the particular scene. For instance the hustle and bustle of a busy New Orleans street. One of the most impressive scenes sonically in the movie is where during World War II the tugboat is caught in a fire fight. Bullets are sprayed across all channels. Explosions thunder from your sub rattling your room. It sounds fantastic. Music also comes across with startling clarity. Everything seems to meld in to one cohesive presentation that adds up to a fantastic lossless track.
10 out of 10
Extras
Here is what is included in the way of extras:
Disc 1:
Commentary Track with David Fincher
Disc 2:
Documentary (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) (Running Time 2hrs 55mins)
Divided into 4 parts (First, Second, and Third Trimester and Birth)
First Trimester
Preface
Development and Pre-Production
Tech Scouts
Storyboard Gallery
Art Direction Gallery
Second Trimester
Production: Part 1
Production: Part 2
Costume Design
Costume Gallery
Third Trimester
Visual Effects: Performance Capture
Visual Effects: Benjamin
Visual Effects: Youthenization
Visual Effects: 'The Chelsea'
Visual Effects: The Simulated World
Sound Design
Desplat's Instrumentarium
Birth
Premiere
Production Stills
I was really excited for this release because being a big fan of extras I know that Criterion produces extras that are really worthwhile. There is a lot of extras available and a lot to cover. By far my favorite section of extras was the third trimester. With a movie like this, what they had to go through to create this character probably couldn't have been done 5 years ago. It's astounding to see what has to be done to create this character. In Performance Capture they look at the role computers play in creating this film and character. In Benjamin they detail the lengthy physical and digital processes that are needed to create this character. In Youthenization they look at what's called "Digital Facelifts". This type of technology was used in the third X-men film to make Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen appear younger. In "The Chelsea" this section looks at bringing the tugboat and other various surroundings to life with the use of visual effects. Last but not least was "The Simulated World". This looked at the challenges in bringing historical buildings to life. For me the effects documentaries were the most interesting extras. These are well done documentaries and are not fluff pieces like what's usually included for behind the scenes documentaries. I also liked the production documentaries. This section included many raw behind the scenes clips as well as interviews with the cast and crew. They also talk about constructing sets and having to act in a very specific way. Again the extras give you more insight into this amazing film. I should point out that if you choose "Play All", there are still some features that have to be accessed separately . Overall Criterion has done a great job here giving us insight into the amazing amount of work needed to create this film.
10 out of 10
Overall
Criterion has done a masterful job creating the definitive disc for this release. A stellar transfer and amazing audio and extras really do add to the appreciation for this film. This all adds up to a must buy Blu-ray and one that should have a prominent place in your collection.
10 out of 10
Highly Recommended