Benjamin Button tells the story of none other than Benjamin Button, a man who was born old, and grows younger as the years pass, while others around him continue to age as life intended.
-Spoilers-
Benjamin is abandoned at birth by his father at a nursing home and the care takers take him in and he continues to grow up. He learns the ways of the world fairly quickly and soon meets Cate Blanchett and immediately falls in love with her. The problem is, she is a young girl and he is an old man growing younger every day.
At 17, and still looking old, Benjamin sets out on his own and runs into a tugboat captain who takes him aboard. World War II happens and some bad things happen.
The movie continues as Cate and Benjamin grow closer in age to each other but are destined to be apart.
-End Spoilers-
I'm not going to tell you much more because you really have to watch it to see it. The story is interesting and at times you really get into it. I have to admit, I don't usually cry during movies but this one was different. There are genuinely some sad parts of this movie. Wahs and anyone can relate to how life works and once you realize you're only here for a limited time, you'll lose it.
I like movies like this that tell interesting stories of lives, and all the while contain little plot points and little things that either predict whats coming, or tie the whole story together.
The acting is good and I expect either Pitt or Blanchett to be nominated for an Oscar. I'd like to see David Fincher, the film's director, get nominated for an Oscar as well, but I'm not sure if Hollywood farts like the academy like him or not.
The filmmaking is very symbolic (that's the word I was looking for) and the filming is well done. Having been filmed in Louisiana post Katrina, the filmmakers did a damn good job. I guess Louisiana offers filmmakers really good incentives if they come and film in that state. I wish all states would do the same, especially Wyoming.
I digress though.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button gets 4.5 stars out of 5 and will indeed appear on my list of greats in 2008.
The tagline of this film reads: "What if you could have an old Brad Pitt head on a young body".
Cate Blanchett's Head has a bad tendency to attack people who stand next to it. This lady, who reads the story in the film, got sucked up moments later.
