by Ashleigh Mchenry

Created on: February 05, 2009

I have to admit, this movie had mecurious, for the lack of a better term, from the first time I saw its trailer. "I was born under unusual circumstances," Is the first line of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,' the F. Scott Fitzgerald short story about a man who is born in his eighties and ages backwards. I have been a fan of Fitzgerald's for years and have a majority of his collection of short stories at home. If you haven't read this stuff, I'd really suggest it, especially "The Long Way Out". Somehow, this one snuck past, however. That fact alone made me all the more interested.

Benjamin's story is set in New Orleans from World War I in 1918 right up to Hurricane Katrina. Button takes us to a tent revival, aboard a tugboat captained by a drunken Irishman, across continents to fight in World War II, over generations and several occupations; through life and death, joy and pain, love and disappointment. Directed by David Fincher and starring Brad Pitt and the ethereal Cate
Blanchett, with a cast of other memorable characters you won't soon forget, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button has been nominated for five Golden Globes. Undoubtedly, this film will be nominated for several Oscars as well.

What first struck me about the film is that overall, it was very much in the same vein as Forrest Gump; a chronicling of historical events as experienced through our protagonist's point of view. Benjamin even had the true definition of a southern-wise mother full of phrases only deep southerners could love. Of course, Benjamin isn't
mentally handicapped as Gump was (though he learns to read and walk at 80 years old and eventually falls victim to dementia at the ripe age of 12) but the context in which the story was told made the progression of
Button's condition all the more harrowing. Every step was more pronounced, each relationship more complicated.

The music also reflected the times as well. Just as it did in Forrest Gump, each new decade was drowned in the best music of its time.

Even if you have read the short story, I would still recommend seeing this movie for the beauty, the historical retellings, the laughs afforded by a wrinkled, bespectacled, wheelchair-bound 7 year old flexing in the mirror and the tangible relationships built through the outstanding storytelling throughout. I'd see it just to marvel at how they managed to make a 40-something year old Brad Pitt look 20 again.

It was magical, it was heartbreaking, it exposed human nature in a unique way. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button gets a solid 8.5 out of 10 in my book. Great acting, fantastic writing and genuine, touchable dynamics between the characters made this film one not to miss this year.

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