Movie Review: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

By Justin Velasquez
December 30, 2008

After much hype and hoopla director David Fincher's follow up to 2007's searing Zodiac delivers.  A lofty fable not unlike 1994's Forrest Gump, Button is an interesting look into the unprecedented and somewhat fairy-tale life of Benjamin Button (Oscar nominee Brad Pitt).  An elaborate story, Button is littered with great performances, beautiful cinematography, important life lessons and revolutionary special effects.

Button is told mostly as a series of flashbacks as middle-aged Caroline (Julia Ormond, Legends of the Fall and Sabrina) reads a diary that was left to her dying mother, Daisy (Oscar winner Cate Blanchett).  While reading its contents aloud we are taken on a journey that starts with the inauspicious birth of Benjamin.  His mother died giving birth and his father, Thomas (Jason Flemyng, Snatch and Layer Cake), upon laying his eyes on the newborn, hastily runs off with the child and abandons him at the doorstep of a senior citizens' home.  Queenie (Taraji P. Henson, Hustle & Flow), a caretaker at the home, finds him wrapped in a blanket with a little bit of cash.  Believing that Benjamin is a miracle from above, Queenie makes the miracle decision to raise him and thus sets his unique life in motion.

What is it about Benjamin that makes him different and unusual?  Why did Thomas break a promise he made to his dying wife to make sure that their son would be safe?  Benjamin was oddly born an 80 year old infant and ages in reverse.  His condition leaves his life in a state of constant imbalance - growing younger while those around him become older. 

Benjamin spends his childhood years in a very relatable place because he looks and feels like a man in the twilight of his life.  Bald, hard of hearing, semi-blind, and unable to walk, Queenie raises him as a normal child since he has the mind of one.  His childhood is molded by Queenie, her boyfriend Tizzie (Mahershalalhashbaz Ali) and the many residents that come in and out of the home.  Though he's very young he's well aware of death - he's surrounded by it.  Benjamin believes his days are numbered because a doctor diagnosed him as gravely ill.  But as he gets older, he becomes younger and stronger - his hearing and sight improve and he slowly learns to walk. 

Benjamin moves out of the home and works on a tugboat.  He befriends the tugboat's captain, aptly known as Captain Mike (Jared Harris, Mr. Deeds & Ocean's Twelve).  Captain Mike is intrigued with Benjamin and thusly shows him some aspects of life that Queenie honestly couldn't.  Benjamin's job takes him around the globe and during one of his trips he comes across and has an affair with a married woman (Oscar winner Tilda Swinton).  It is his first relationship with a woman and serves as proof of his effect on others - even if it's only for a short time.  Benjamin is constantly evolving emotionally as he comes into contact with whomever he meets - he learns as from them just as much as they learn from him.

While growing up at the home he meets Daisy, the granddaughter of a resident.  Benjamin falls in love with her upon first glance and in spite of his many travels makes efforts to keep in touch with her.  Daisy becomes a successful ballet dancer in New York.  She and Benjamin weave in and out of each others' lives during their 20's and 30's but they finally fall in love.  The balance that has eluded Benjamin his whole life is found through her.  Though they are at a happy place both physically and emotionally Benjamin realizes that even the best of things don't last.  The difficult decision he makes at this crossroads in their lives will change them forever. 

Benjamin Button is one of those films that comes along and throws you into another world.  A beautiful piece of storytelling (and based on a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald), Button highlights the importance and preciousness of life itself.  Benjamin learns to savor life's moments because even the most mundane events can leave an indelible mark.  Benjamin's many losses are hard to endure - he loses friends and family all the while looking youthful and innocent.  Seeing Benjamin grow younger and younger would normally make someone jealous until you realize just how alone he really is.  Benjamin certainly cannot control his or anyone else's inevitable fates but it's gut-wrenching to see him make the choice to be alone.

David Fincher, known for making oddly unique films such as Fight Club and Se7en, directs a classic here that is easily his most accessible film.  It may seem easy to make a film of this caliber because of what (and who) he has to work with but his vision for Benjamin and his life is almost flawless.  Brad Pitt is very good and may very well be an Oscar contender.  Cate Blanchett is equally as impressive playing opposite Pitt while the hidden gem is Taraji P. Henson.  Her earnest and caring performance is sure to leave a mark on come awards season. 

Though the film is long, Button is a journey that I recommend you take.  The film is very moving, romantic and even funny.  Benjamin's journey seems to spit in the face of nature and the normal path of life but the film's message makes it affable.  The special effects and make-up are amazing and will definitely change the way films are made (just as Forrest Gump did). Watching it will hopefully give you a newfound respect for life, the most important aspect being that one should make the most of the opportunities afforded them.

3.5 Stars out of Four