by Jay Bamber

Created on: July 10, 2009   Last Updated: July 11, 2009

Benjamin Button was born under extremely unusual circumstances; he was born into the body of an old man with aching joints and wrinkled skin and blindness, an ailment which led to his parents leaving him on the doorstep of a local borstal. After a wild night out a young woman finds the crying baby and decides to offer him a place to stay with her as well as her love, despite being told by doctors that he will surely die within weeks. However, the baby grows stronger everyday and appears to be getting younger.... he is ageing backwards - leading him to experience war, parenthood and love. But his life can never be the same as others and it takes on its own very unique twists and turns.

The Curious case of Benjamin Button is an example of that rare thing in Hollywood; it is a great piece of story-telling. It takes an unusual premise and runs with it, creating a magical and emotional journey that charms, intrigues and moves in equal measure. It is gorgeously rendered, perfectly acted-out and sumptuously written with a huge amount of heart and passion that helps the whole film tide over its more problematic moments. Because it is such a well-told story it is easy to forget many of the films flaws; the opening is sluggish (some may say boring), the message a little confused and some of the scenes are there for purely aesthetic reasons but despite all of these mis-steps the film wears its heart on its shaggy sleeve and is genuinely engaging. Lessons are learnt, relationships are mended and secrets are revealed with such quiet grace and restraint that it is pretty heart-breaking and the films overall style is pure old Hollywood. As the credits roll and the lights shine back on you might well be left with the urge to ring your family and talk to your friends; The Curious Case of Benjamin Button sends a message about respecting life and living it to its full and there can't be anything wrong with that!

The story of Benjamin Button's life is told from three very different perspectives; a dying woman looking back at her relationship with him, her daughter who has seen the very real repercussions of the relationship and, through various diary entries and letters, Benjamin himself. This gives the film a lot of substance and allows the film to feel very rounded; we are allowed to experience the story for the first time along with Daisy's daughter which emphasises the bizarre premise and are then given a glimpse into the intimate moments of Daisy and Benjamin's very human

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