The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Benjamin’s story is told in flashback through his diaries, now that the love of his life, Daisy (Cate Blanchett), is an old woman. As Benjamin says through his diaries, his most important legacy is his story, but this is not the only story we see. Tales are told within tales; each person has a story; the layers of narrative shift and weave expertly between characters. Director David Fincher draws all these threads together to create one complex but satisfying tapestry.

Benjamin’s life is filled with colourful characters, such as the tugboat captain cum tattoo artist, and the man who has been struck by lightning seven times. The latter lives in the old people’s home in New Orleans where Benjamin grows up. The house symbolises the circle of life that is the film’s main theme – people come and go, enter the world and then leave, so thoughts of one’s own mortality are never far away. Especially for Benjamin, who quickly realises that while he might be growing younger, those he loves will get older and closer to death. This problem becomes more acute when he meets Daisy, the girl that changes his life. Both are heading in different directions, and it would appear the only time they are perfect for each other is when they meet in the middle.

While the performances from Pitt and Blanchett are excellent – Pitt imbues Benjamin with an innocence that is endearing but never unbelievable - it has to be said that the astonishing make-up and CGI make this possible. Both actors are able to play the majority of their characters’ lives, so that the ‘young’ 80-year-old in a wheelchair is recognisably Pitt, thereby maintaining the continuity of character. And it is not just Pitt and Blanchett that deliver worthy performances – Taraji P. Henson is superb as Benjamin’s adoptive mother, as is Tilda Swinton playing the frustrated wife of an English diplomat who forms a friendship with Benjamin in unlikely circumstances.

It may sound clichéd, but this film really does have it all. Fincher is able to handle impressive action sequences as well as small, intimate moments that feel momentous. There is comedy to be had too as Benjamin goes through experiences typical to every teenage boy, but as an old man. The running time of nearly three hours is necessary to present Benjamin’s life in its entirety, so that we can appreciate, if not fully understand, the process of growing younger. If we had a star-rating system, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button would get five out five.

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