The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

I waited about five months to see this movie. I watched the trailer (the older, better one) a gazillion times.
So basically I hyped myself up way too much for this movie.

That doesn't mean it was necessarily bad. It just wasn't great. The movie is about 3 hours long, and in my humble opinion, a movie should only be that long if it needs to be that long. And this film certainly doesn't; its based on a short story for peat's sake.
On the other hand, the ensemble is stellar. Brad Pitt gives one the best performances of his career playing the eponymous Benjamin Button, a man that ages backwards. Cate Blanchett, who can do no wrong, plays Button's love interest. I have to say though that my favorite performance was from neither of these bigwigs. Taraji P. Hensen plays the African American woman working at a nursing home who saves the abandoned Button soon after his birth, and consequently becomes his Mama. She plays this role with such sass and charisma that the scenes where she's absent seem dry.

Overall, the film definitely had some gaping holes. What's with the whole scene in the beginning that showed how and where the clock, that goes backwards just like Button's life, was built? It may be obvious to assume that the clock was instituted the day Button was born, and that it stopped working the day Button died. But no, there was no reference to that. The film did point out, however, that Button was born the day WWII ended...connection??? Oh that's right- none.
See that's a big issue for me. By a film's end, it should be wrapped up nicely and everything should fall into place. When there are unanswered questions I can't help but to be pissed, as if we should just enjoy the film as it is and appreciate that we get to stare at Brad Pitt's pretty face.

Note to directors: please don't assume the theater is filled with dummies. Thanks.

3 HOUR MOVIE? IF YOU'VE GOT NOTHING ELSE TO SEE.
BETTER YET, WATCH THE TRAILER (AGAIN, THE OLDER ONE).