 The Criterion Collection [Blu-ray] "I was born under unusual circumstances." And so begins The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, adapted from the 1920s story by F. Scott Fitzgerald about a man who is born in his eighties and ages backwards: a man, like any of us, who is unable to stop time. We follow his story, set in New Orleans, from the end of World War I in 1918 into the 21st century, following his journey that is as unusual as any man's life can be. Directed by David Fincher and starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett with Taraji P. Henson, Tilda Swinton, Jason Flemyng, Elias Koteas and Julia Ormond, Benjamin Button, is a grand tale of a not-so-ordinary man and the people and places he discovers along the way, the loves he finds, the joys of life and the sadness of death, and what lasts beyond time. Storyline: On the day that Hurricane Katrina hits New Orleans, elderly Daisy Williams (nee Fuller) is on her deathbed in a New Orleans hospital. At her side is her adult daughter, Caroline. Daisy asks Caroline to read to her aloud the diary of Daisy's lifelong friend, Benjamin Button. Benjamin's diary recounts his entire extraordinary life, the primary unusual aspect of which was his aging backwards, being diagnosed with several aging diseases at birth and thus given little chance of survival, but who does survive and gets younger with time. Abandoned by his biological father, Thomas Button, after Benjamin's biological mother died in childbirth, Benjamin was raised by Queenie, a black woman and caregiver at a seniors home. Daisy's grandmother was a resident at that home, which is where she first met Benjamin. Although separated through the years, Daisy and Benjamin remain in contact throughout their lives, reconnecting in their forties when in age they finally match up. Some of the revelations ... Written by Huggo Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Martin Liebman on May 1, 2009 -- You can be mad as a mad dog at the way things went. You can swear and curse the fates. But when it comes to the end, you have to let go. --- A man is born, lives, and dies. Simplicity at its peak. Nature at its best. The world revolving as always. Nothing new, nothing surprising, nothing noteworthy -- until something changes. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button tells the story of a man's life, his physical and emotional growth, his struggles, his triumphs, his failures, his loves, and his death. He leads a normal life, one filled with sweeping adventures, love, friendship, happiness, sorrow, and all of life's emotions and experiences that define one's character, one's heart, and one's soul. In the eyes of the passer-by, at a glance, a snapshot, or an instant -- Benjamin's Button's life was no more or no less interesting than that of most others -- except for the fact that he experienced it backwards. Born an infant but with the physical characteristics of an elderly man, and growing younger rather than older with time, the entirety of Benjamin's life was marked by his astonishing and seemingly incomprehensible development. Regardless of his differences, no matter his stage in life, and despite his very existence that defied all logic and scientific explanation, Benjamin's place in the world remained firmly grounded in love -- both given and received. Stamina, strength, vision, and hair may come and go, but man's one everlasting quality, no matter his age or physical appearance -- the simple act of love -- proves once again to be the foundation of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual contentment regardless of how normal, or abnormal, a man may be. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, based on the short story of the same name by F. Scott Fitzgerald (The Great Gatsby), tells the tale of Benjamin (Brad Pitt, Seven Years in Tibet), a man born the size of an infant but with all the characteristics of an aged gentleman. His mother dead as a result of labor complications, Benjamin is left on the steps of a New Orleans nursing home by his father on the night of his birth, the same day the city is celebrating the end of the first World War. Taken in by the gentle-hearted Queenie (Taraji P. Henson, Not Easily Broken), Benjamin defies all odds, surviving one year to the next and growing taller -- and younger. As time passes, Benjamin's crooked back and hands straighten; his once-bald head grows hair; and he finds himself no longer confined to a wheelchair. Over the years, Benjamin discovers the true meaning of life on board a tugboat, in war, and in the arms of the girl he's loved since childhood, Daisy (Cate Blanchett, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull). While he grows younger, the world around him matures. Friends and relatives die, love comes and goes, but his heart and soul remain steady, fashioned over time by those who took a chance on -- and loved -- a human being living a blessed, unusual, and certainly curious life. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a movie about life and death, but also about what defines man in between those dates etched in stone at the end of days. The process of living -- the people and the experiences that shape a man's fundamental understanding of himself and the world around him -- depends not on a number, a tuft of hair, a physical countenance, or even the ability to walk, talk, or fully comprehend the world, but rather on the heart and its ability to give and receive, to cherish and accept, no matter the circumstances. Unconditional love -- that which defined Benjamin's life and, in particular, both his formative and final years -- served as the foundation to his very existence, the fact that he was born wrinkly and ill or died a smooth, unblemished baby mattered not to those that saw fit to give their hearts fully and in turn receive the joys of love returned in their lives. Those two individuals that shaped Benjamin's life -- his caregiver and de facto mother Queenie and his lifelong love interest Daisy -- each accepted Benjamin not as a curiosity or an accident of nature but rather as a human being, worthy of love, affection, acceptance, understanding, and happiness. Aside from being an emotionally stirring and deeply profound masterpiece that shows that it is the whole of the experience of one's life and the importance of one constant -- love -- rather than a snapshot or even a biologically-correct series of stages and events that makes a man, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is also a technical triumph, the film awarded with thirteen Oscar nominations, including Best Motion Picture, Best Achievement in Directing (David Fincher, Se7en), Best Performance By an Actor in a Leading Role (Brad Pitt), and Best Performance By an Actress in a Supporting Role (Taraji P. Henson). Henson's character, Queenie, serves as the film's emotional core and most important character. In many ways, she represents the ideal human being, one who always offers a helping hand to those in need and regardless of their physical and mental capacities. More than any other, she shapes Benjamin's life through a continuous display of tenderness and affection, taking him in as her own, looking past his most curious superficialities, and seeing instead a soul which, thanks to her guidance, remains forever young. The film also features seamless transitions from one version of Button to the next. As the years go by and the man grows younger, the passage from one look to the next never interrupts the flow of the film, sacrifices believability, or otherwise takes the audience out of the story. Most importantly, though, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a sweet movie, one told with the utmost respect and compassion for the story, the characters, and even cinema itself. The story is both at once spellbinding and expertly-crafted into a simple and innocent yet incredibly moving and effective picture. Perhaps not since Sling Blade has a movie said so much about the power of love in the face of difficult challenges and circumstances revolving around ordinary, everyday life. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button deals with the complexities of life made more challenging by one man's unusual experience, but despite what is often weighty subject matter, the film remains tender and gentle in its approach, look, and feel. The warm, inviting and sometimes sepia-toned interiors, roughly-reproduced flashback scenes (complete with fading, jumping, scratches, and dirt galore), and some surreal imagery all compliment the tone of the film wonderfully. Brad Pitt's narration, too, is superb, his tone and delivery perfectly matched to the incredibly well-written and sometimes even poetic words that both move the story forward and serve as a source of fascination and enthrallment throughout. Suffice it to say, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button represents cinema at its finest. Recounting a simple tale; easing the burden of, but not eliminating, the more weighty and deeper complexities of the narrative; and presented with tenderness and affection for the story, the characters, and the medium of film itself, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button makes for enthralling, moving, and important cinema. Though failing to garner the Best Picture Oscar in a year featuring several deserving films, there is no doubt that it will continue to be recognized as a monumental accomplishment in filmmaking for its approach, themes, acting, and special effects. The Criterion Collection presents The Curious Case of Benjamin Button on Blu-ray with stellar results, the disc easily one of the best overall packages on the market, taking into account the strength of the film, the reference-grade technical presentation, and the inclusion of plenty of worthwhile bonus features. This disc easily and enthusiastically earns my highest recommendation. Cast Notes: Cate Blanchett (Daisy), Julia Ormond (Caroline), Faune A. Chambers (Dorothy Baker), Elias Koteas (Monsieur Gateau), Donna DuPlantier (Blanche Devereux), Jacob Tolano (Martin Gateau [as Jacob Wood]), Earl Maddox (Man at Train Station), Ed Metzger (Teddy Roosevelt), Jason Flemyng (Thomas Button), Danny Vinson (Priest Giving Last Rites), David Jensen (Doctor at Benjamin's Birth), Joeanna Sayler (Caroline Button), Taraji P. Henson (Queenie), Mahershalalhashbaz Ali (Tizzy), Fiona Hale (Mrs. Hollister). IMDb Rating (07/24/14): 7.8/10 from 350,341 users IMDb Rating (05/25/09): 8.2/10 from 89,522 users Top 250: #169
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