The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)

• Year: 2008
• Released: 25 Dec 2008
• Country: United States
• Adwords: Won 3 Oscars. 83 wins & 160 nominations total
• IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0421715/
• Rotten Tomatoes: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/Curious_Case_of_Benjamin_Button
• Metacritics: https://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-curious-case-of-benjamin-button
• Available in: 720p, 1080p,
• Language: English, Russian, French
• MPA Rating: PG-13
• Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Romance
• Runtime: 166 min
• Writer: Eric Roth, Robin Swicord, F. Scott Fitzgerald
• Director: David Fincher
• Cast: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Tilda Swinton
• Keywords: hospital, based on short story, funeral, travel, diary,

	7.8/10
	70/100
	71% – Critics
	80% – Audience

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Storyline

On the day that Hurricane Katrina hits New Orleans, elderly Daisy Williams (nee Fuller) is on her deathbed in a New Orleans hospital. At her side is her adult daughter, Caroline. Daisy asks Caroline to read to her aloud the diary of Daisy’s lifelong friend, Benjamin Button. Benjamin’s diary recounts his entire extraordinary life, the primary unusual aspect of which was his aging backwards, being diagnosed with several aging diseases at birth and thus given little chance of survival, but who does survive and gets younger with time. Abandoned by his biological father, Thomas Button, after Benjamin’s biological mother died in childbirth, Benjamin was raised by Queenie, a black woman and caregiver at a seniors home. Daisy’s grandmother was a resident at that home, which is where she first met Benjamin. Although separated through the years, Daisy and Benjamin remain in contact throughout their lives, reconnecting in their forties when in age they finally match up. Some of the revelations in Benjamin’s diary are difficult for Caroline to read, especially as it relates to the time past this reconnection between Benjamin and Daisy, when Daisy gets older and Benjamin grows younger into his childhood years.

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The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Movie Reviews

Sort of like “Forrest Gump” run in reverse and without the laughs.

“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” sure got a lot of attention when it came out in 2008. It got so much attention that it received three Oscars and is ranked in the IMDb Top 250–currently at #247. And, as a result, when I finally got around to seeing it, my expectations were way, way too high. I was expecting too much, I am sure, as it’s hard for a film to live up to all this hoopla. Now if I look at the film and try to ignore all these ridiculously high expectations, I see that it is indeed an exceptional film…but perhaps not quite the ‘must-see’ that I thought it was. I can’t put my finger on it…it just didn’t seem like a film a cinema freak must watch…though it was a nice, gentle viewing experience. And, after seeing this and “Slumdog Millionaire”, I can see why “Benjamin Button” didn’t capture the Best Picture Oscar.

Probably the best way to describe this film is like “Forrest Gump” run in reverse…and without the laughs or meetings with presidents and all the celebrity status. That’s because although Benjamin SHOULD be world famous for being the only person to ever live life backwards, curiously he isn’t and people seem to almost take it in stride. In addition, and this part DID bother me, everyone’s performance seemed way, way, way too restrained. There were very, very few emotional highs in the film–and even those were curiously subdued. To me, that’s what’s curious about this “Curious Case”—why such an excellent film pulled its emotional punches throughout the film. As a result, when it should have been exciting, it wasn’t…or not nearly enough. Still, it’s well worth seeing…it has some lovely romantic elements and is a sweet film.

Unusual, but touching and exquisitely filmed

I had wanted to see The Curious Case of Benjamin Button for a long time, I had heard people raving how amazing it was but others calling it overly-sentimental tripe. After seeing it myself, while it is not my all time favourite movie or a perfect film by all means, I am glad to have watched The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. There are some parts where the film is very slow, and it is probably too long as well. Also I do think Se7en and Fight Club, also directed by David Fincher were better movies.

That said, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is still an interesting, worthwhile and very good film on the joys of life, the sadness of death and a love that endures beyond time. It’s concept is curious and unusual but is explored in a poignant and sensitive way. The screenplay does have some honest moments, and the story is incredibly heartfelt and touching, I admit I was emotionally wrecked at the end. Fincher’s direction once again is very impressive. To top all this, the film has exquisite visuals, seriously the cinematography is stunning, the scenery is sumptuous, the make up is superb and the costumes are gorgeous. And the score is breathtakingly beautiful, very hypnotic, soothing and haunting. Personally I really liked the acting, Brad Pitt while I do think he has given better performances is surprisingly touching in the title role. He plays the role with real humanity and depth, and I didn’t find his narration annoying at all. Cate Blachett has also been better, having been mesmerising in the Elizabeth movies and The Aviator, but she looks gorgeous in this movie and acts as a very sympathetic time-crossed soul mate, and the two stars are believable together.

Overall, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is very good, not outstanding but I am glad I watched it. 8/10 Bethany Cox

He “Youthens”

Other than F. Scott Fitzgerald’s vivid description of how Benjamin Button has reversed the aging process in his life, there is nothing of his the plot of his story. But the idea behind the updated version is as vivid as when he put it to paper.

When Fitzgerald published the story it was 1927 probably at the height of the jazz age and his creative powers. As he wrote it, Bnejamin Button was born after the Civil War and lived through World War I. But he lived backwards as it were. In Camelot, King Arthur describes Merlin as not aging, but that he ‘youthens’. That coined word describes just what happens to Benjamin.

When he’s born he comes out of the womb a little old man, something like you might imagine Yoda if you can ever imagine him as a child. With all the usual problems of old age. But as he grows older chronologically, Benjamin loses all those infirmities gradually and gets younger and younger. Several actors play him before he finally morphs into Brad Pitt.

Which makes the achievement of director David Fancher all the more impressive. Although Brad Pitt was recognized with an Oscar nomination for Best Actor, the directing of several others almost in tandem to play the same role at different stages is a great achievement. Too bad he didn’t get the Oscar for that alone although Fancher was nominated also.

In fact The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button got a flock of Oscar nominations including Best Picture as well as those mentioned. It won for Art&Set Direction, Visual Effects, and in fact if it hadn’t won for makeup the Oscars should have been picketted that year.

Taraji Henson was also nominated for Best Supporting Actress. When Benjamin is born and his mother dies giving him birth and his father abandons him, the caregiver who is black takes him in to raise in her large and extended family. Given both his physical condition and the circumstances of his childhood, Benjamin had one unique perspective on life indeed. Henson is nothing short of fabulous in her portrayal.

Cate Blanchett who was overlooked in the Oscars for this role plays the woman whom he loves, but who is working her way up in physical age while Pitt is working down. The film is seen from both her’s and his perspective as she tells her daughter to read from this diary that Benjamin kept. When they met at the middle though as Benjamin ran the bases backward through life, there love was real and really physical.

The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button is a remarkable achievement that gave some career roles to some fine players.