I have no idea who Robert Abele is, nor do I know why Variety has him reviewing The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and not their resident critic Todd McCarty (perhaps McCarthy didn’t run out of the screening fast enough and jot down a story), but Abele, to my knowledge, has the first official review of Benjamin Button and it’s a “shimmering” one.
Abele makes the claim Button has the “chance at [becoming] a category-sweeping juggernaut, with Fincher on track to score his first Academy nomination.” Surprised? Hard to be surprised considering Abele probably wrote this review on his iPhone while he was watching it in an effort to proclaim “FIRST” in the new found online need to have the first word, but he has indeed won. However, will his opinion hold up among the rest?
His review claims Cate Blanchett gives “another full-bodied portrayal of sensuality and intelligence.” Brad Pitt’s performance “plays to his strengths: love of character parts and brooding ambivalence about his beauty.” He also has kind words for supporting actors Taraji P. Henson and Tilda Swinton. Cinematographer Claudio Miranda and costume designer Jacqueline West also get kudos.
What does all this mean? Not a whole lot as the “review” hardly appears to be official, but if others are allowed to post their opinions we should have a decent idea of what we are looking at. You can read the complete piece right here.
