The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)

This movie has a very curious tale indeed! Based on the short story by F Scott Fitzgerald, it centres around the implausible life story of a man who is born old and ages backwards. The tale is set against the backdrop of Hurricane Katrina, and told from the viewpoint of a dying woman, Daisy (Cate Blanchett), who is relaying the story to her grown up daughter Caroline. She does this with the help of Benjamin Button’s diaries, chronicling his extraordinary life.

Benjamin Button (Brad Pitt) was born in New Orleans in 1918. From birth he had all the symptoms of old age, for example poor elasticity in the skin, diminished hearing and eyesight etc. His mother died in childbirth, and his distraught father abandoned his son on the steps of a retirement home. The baby was taken in by Queenie (who ran the home) believing he did not have long to live. However, he survived and to everyone’s surprise became more youthful as the years passed.

In 1930, when Benjamin was 12 (although still looked like a very old man) he met 9 year old Daisy, who was to become the true love of his life. However, as the saying goes, the course of true love never runs smoothly, and this was especially true in their case. With one aging forwards, and the other backwards, they only had a brief time in the middle of their lives to be together as lovers.

I found this movie to be extraordinary and very touching, although the plot did seem to slow down in the middle of the film. I also found it visually impressive, with superb acting and direction. This film makes the viewer think too, about the meaning of age, and how relevant this really is in our lives. For Benjamin and Daisy, a few years of happiness together was worth the separation they had to endure before and afterwards. The moral of this story appeared to be to make the most of now, rather than worrying about the future.

All in all, a highly enjoyable and thought provoking movie, a tale for the curious!