In a New Orleans hospital with Hurricane Katrina quickly approaching, an estranged daughter is at her mother’s deathbed. Her mother begins telling a story about a blind clockmaker whom is commissioned to design a clock in the New Orleans train station. The clockmaker intentionally designs the clock to run backwards after receiving the news of his son dying in World War I, in hopes that it would bring back everyone’s sons whom died in the war. The mother heavily medicated, goes in and out of consciousness but asks her daughter to read a diary she has by Benjamin Button. The diary tells a fantastical story that begins on November 11, 1918. New Orleans is a buzz out in the streets celebrating the end of the Great War, during the celebration a baby is born to a Thomas Button (Jason Flemyng) with an unusual condition that gives the physical and internal conditions of an elderly man. Unfortunately Thomas’s wife dies at childbirth and in his angry he takes the new born and abandons it on the steps of a nursing home. A couple that work at the nusing home, Queenie (Taraji P. Henson) and Tizzy (Mahershalalhashbaz Ali), discovers the poor child and decides to take care of him after the doctor states he only has a short time to live. Queenie decides to name him Benjamin (Brad Pitt).
Through the course of the story, Benjamin begins to slowly grow younger and younger until finally becoming an infant. Benjamin one day meets a young girl named Daisy (Elle Fanning) who would turn out to be the love of his life. Benjamin eventually finds himself working on a tug boat at age seventeen and eventually leaves New Orleans. Daisy makes Benjamin promise to start sending postcards from every where he traveled. Later in 1945, Benjamin is reunited with Daisy (Cate Blanchett) now a grown woman, however it is not until 1962 the two fall in love.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a visually fascinating film about life, destiny and dealing with what God gives you. A long film that will keep you glued to the screen until the end. After winning three Oscars for Art Direction, Makeup, and Visual Effects, the film is now available in a two disc special edition Blu-ray package by The Criterion Collection.
On Disc One we have the feature film with an audio commentary by director David Fincher. Always being a fan of commentary, this one is wealth of information about everything in the making of the film. On Disc Two is where the bulk of the bonus material is located. First up is a four-part featurette on the making of the film. Part one is "First Trimester: Beginnings," part two is "Second Trimester: Production," part three is "Third Trimester: Visual Effects" and part four "Birth: Première." The feature is over three hours presented in 1.78:1 high-def widescreen and is full of information about all aspects of the production including how they were able to make Brad Pitt age. There is also a series of still galleries of storyboards, art direction, costumes, and production photos. The disc also includes a booklet with an essay by film critic Kent Jones.
It would be wrong to look at The Curious Case of Benjamin Button as a moral tale. Perhaps thinly there is a message within the story about a man who ages backwards and the film with out questions makes one think about their own life and destiny. Still the movie holds up as a narrative about a man dealing with the life he is given in the best way he is able. Director David Fincher does a wonderful job with F. Scott Fitzgerald’s short story who finds the delicate balance of not allowing technology over power the film. If you haven’t yet seen the film, do yourself a favor and pick up The Criterion Collection edition on Blu-ray of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
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