The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is an epic fantasy loosely adapted from the 1922 short story of the same name written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Benjamin Button (Brad Pitt) is born in New Orleans at the end of the First World War with all the characteristics of an octogenarian. His mother dies in childbirth and his industrialist father abandons him on the steps of a seniors care facility where he’s adopted by a kindly black woman called Queenie (Taraji P. Henson). Due to a grieving master watchmaker’s mysterious timepiece that runs counter clockwise, Benjamin proceeds through life aging backwards so being surrounded by a colourful bunch of warehoused old people proves to be a comfortable place to grow up (or down in this case). As a budding teen he meets the 7 year old Daisy (Elle Fanning - real life sister to Dakota with a striking family resemblance) who realizes his unique nature and despite his ancient appearance quickly falls in love with his kind heart. Their lives intersect at various times while she peruses a bohemian career as a dancer and he experiences the world as a tugboat deck hand. The story starts to unfold as Caroline (Julia Ormond) a middle aged woman is reading aloud from Benjamin’s diary to her deathbed mother Daisy (an unrecognizable Cate Blanchett) while hurricane Katrina is bearing down on the Big Easy. The CGI used to make Pitt and Blanchett gravitate towards a median age is truly remarkable and even at two hours and twenty five minutes the story which feels like The Notebook meets Forest Gump is engaging enough that time doesn’t seem to have moved forward all that much.