The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Movie Review

Brad Pitt Ages Gracefully in F. Scott Fitzgerald Adaptation

Dec 27, 2008

An adaptation of F Scott Fitzgerald's 1921 short story in which a man lives out his life in reverse; being born old and dying young.

Big-Screen heartthrob Brad Pitt; (The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford), plays Benjamin Button, a man born under ‘curious circumstances’, in New Orleans, on the night the Great War ended. What makes Benjamin so remarkable is the fact that he is born old, carrying all the afflictions of an elderly person; wrinkles, cataracts, and poor hearing. When Button’s mother dies giving birth to him, his father, played by Jason Flemyng; (Transporter 2), panics, and abandons his son on the doorstep of a nursing home.

Benjamin is adopted by the manager of the nursing home, Queenie, played by Taraji P Henson; (Smokin’ Aces), who herself is unable to have children and takes pity on the unwanted child. Benjamin is raised by the inhabitants of the nursing home, who fill his head with worldly advise, and his imagination with stories of their youth.

Although physically old, Button’s soul is still young, and he is only able to find the peer interaction he seeks in Daisy, a young girl who stays at the home on occasion to visit her grandmother who is a resident at the home. Benjamin quickly realizes that he is in love with Daisy, who is non-judgmental, compassionate, and understanding of his unusual debilitation.

Benjamin and Daisy grow in mutual love and admiration, and these kindred spirits stay close as they follow their own destinies; Benjamin as a sailor, and Daisy, played by Cate Blanchett; (Elizabeth: The Golden Age), as a ballerina, with Benjamin writing Daisy from every port at which he stops. The pair eventually reunite, and Daisy is surprised to find that Benjamin has aged in reverse, making a sexual relationship, to add to their already deep emotional bond, feasible.

The star-crossed lovers however come to the realization that as Benjamin so insightfully states throughout the film, ‘Nothing lasts forever’, and Benjamin is forced to leave his beloved and their young daughter, so as not to be a burden when he has aged too young to be of use as a father and partner.

Benjamin and Daisy

Writers Eric Roth and Robin Swicord, have beautifully embodied true, unconditional love through the characters of Benjamin and Daisy. In true romantic fashion, these two soul-mates typify the ‘against the odds’ relationships of loves stories dating back from the dawn of recorded history, where an antagonist threatens to split two people apart; in this case Benjamin’s condition, and the story ultimately ends in tragedy. The plot has a true fantastical feel. This factor, along with its reoccurring messages, give it a reminiscence of Forest Gump, in which Tom Hanks’ character faces similar adversities to that of Brad Pitts’, and can only find acceptance in his childhood sweetheart, ‘Jenny’. Despite these adversities, ‘Forest’, a mentally retarded man, can achieve the seemingly impossible, just as Benjamin is able to do, and perseveres with the aid of his muse.

The Verdict

A well written story + an exceptional cast + seamlessly natural special effects + jaw-dropping cinematography = OSCAR!!! This film is destined for great acclaim, and deservedly so. The films’ two stars, Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, should be front-runners in the Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress categories, with Pitt’s consolidation of a first Best Actor Academy Award looking eminent.

5/5 Stars

Cast

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