They said I was gonna die soon but, maybe not.

Traditionally music video directors do not make great filmmakers. While they have an extremely strong sense of image, they often come up short in story sense. Full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. One notable exception to this rule is David Fincher.

With films like Se7en and Fight Club, Mr. Fincher has distinguished himself as a filmmaker who in has a strong aesthetic AND something to say about the darkness in man's soul. His newest film, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, makes a noble effort at augmenting that worldview with something a little bit more hopeful.

On this outing, darkness is relegated almost exclusively to the gorgeous cinematography. For the first time ever, a David Fincher film is able to illicit both tears and heartwarming laughter. The quirky characters Benjamin comes across on his journeys are a hoot and watching him and Daisy drift apart is heart wrenching. Fincher ably proves his ability to direct scenes about real humans. So then what's the problem?

While the film's effects are stunning and will surely rack up a few awards, they also provide a sort of hindrance. Though a good majority of these technical miracles serve to tell the story, some only succeed in distracting the viewer. If you're busy trying to figure out how an effect was achieved, you're not paying attention to the story.

The other problem is a bit larger and comes in the form of a framing device that never really clicks. What was the purpose of setting these scenes during Hurricane Katrina? Was it simply because the film is set in New Orleans? Or is it meant to enhance the film's 'death theme'? Juxtaposing an individual's death with that of a city? Whatever the reason, it does not come across. Maybe we'll eventually get a director's cut that will make more sense.

In the end The Curious Case of Benjamin Button belongs to a proud line of flawed masterpieces. Movies with great potential and a lot to love, that for one reason or another come up short. Yet even in its' flawed state, this film has more to offer than 80% of the dreck out there. A very commendable effort. Who knows - maybe it will get better with age.