The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett star in this fascinating tale about a man who continually grows younger rather than older. The film opens with the title character being born. Benjamin is a baby, but his body features - bones, skin, and senses are that of an 86 year old man. His disgusted father abandons him on a door step that happens to be that of a retirement home. A few years into his life, Benjamin notices that something quite unusual is happening to him…..he is getting younger! From that time on the movie takes on the epic feel of watching one man's extraordinary life a la Forrest Gump. However, outside of the fact that he is aging backwards, not much more happens to him that I would label extraordinary. This is where I felt the movie dropped the ball or should I say the Oscar for best picture. It lacked those whimsical moments that lures you even more into the characters' lives, a moment that coats you with cinematic dust. The main emotional artery of the story is Benjamin reuniting with the love of his life as they cross paths in their late 30’s. It is a sad concept to be utterly in love with someone knowing you will not be able to grow old with them. The film explores the themes of love, death and aging, but again I felt it lacked something. It was missing a closing argument. One aspect where the film excelled was the make-up and special effects used to depict the varying ages of Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett throughout this epic. They both looked great as teenagers with smooth youthful skin as well as elders with wrinkles and graying hair. This movie had so much going for it. It is one of my favorites of the year, but with a little help it could have been at the very top of my list!

Ry's Rating: B +

If this movie had parents they would be: Forrest Gump & Big

With a runtime of 159 minutes

This film is rated PG-13