The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON is stunning. The story, the acting, the effects, the craftsmanship of the filmmakers--everything hits on all cylinders. And with the extra features available with THE CRITERION COLLECTION, the viewer learns about the remarkable technology that allowed Brad Pitt to play young (meaning "old") Benjamin by digitally placing an animated face on another actor's body. Then the viewer learns how "cosmetic" effects were used to make Pitt and costar Cate Blanchett look much, much younger. The disc containing the special features, where everything is discussed about the film--from its inception to post-production--is actually longer than the film itself, but well worth taking the time to watch. It's as spellbinding as the haunting tale of Benjamin Button--a person who was born old, and ages backwards through decade after decade of life primarily in New Orleans. And over the course of the story, some very compelling and interesting characters weave in and out of Benjamin's life in grand fashion.And what a story! As director David Fincher advises in a must-see audio commentary, THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON is not a "love story", it's a "death story." As the story begins, we find Cate Blanchett's Daisy character literally on her death bed as Katrina bears down on NOLA. As she has her daughter Caroline (Julia Ormond) read aloud from Benjamin's personal diary, the story moves back to New Orleans during World War I, to the dedication of a new clock for the city's train station, whereby Gateau, the blind clockmaker, has installed a clock that runs backwards--"So that all the sons we lost in the war might return to us." We then move to the evening of Armistice Day, the night a withered and monster-looking Benjamin is born, with his dazed father (Jason Flemying) literally leaving the newborn on the doorstep of the local old folks' home. Thus an ancient-looking Benjamin literally grows up surrounded by death, as inhabitant after inhabitant dies, only to be replaced by other inhabitants who die. Benjamin's childhood may be the best, most entertaining part of a most entertaining film, because all the characters that come into Benjamin's life are so delightful and fun to watch. (Two of the most compelling characters are Queenie (Taraji P. Henson), Benjamin's adoptive mother, and the hysterical Captain Mike (Jared Harris), who gives adolescent Benjamin his first job on a tugboat, and a most interesting coming-of-age evening.) Of course it's during his childhood that Benjamin meets 7-year-old Daisy; both are immediately drawn to one another, and as Daisy so wondrously states, they spend the next few years preparing to "meet in the middle."The story moves on from Benjamin's childhood, when he leaves New Orleans at age 17 (yet he looks 60) to adventure on Captain Mike's boat literally all over the world. Before World War II erupts, he has his first love affair in Russia with Elizabeth Abbott (Tilda Swinton is terrific), the wife of an English diplomat, and during the war Benjamin experiences suffering and death as Captain Mike's tugboat is destroyed at sea. Benjamin returns to New Orleans following the war, and as the years unfold his youthful looks begin to coincide with Daisy's (who is in a ballerina troupe traveling the world), until an injury ends her career, and in her thirties she returns to New Orleans, and Benjamin and Daisy begin their lives together. There is pending heartbreak because, as Benjamin laments, "Nothing ever lasts", and over the decade of the Sixties Daisy ages while Benjamin looks younger; a daughter is born in 1968, and a year later, Benjamin informs his soulmate, "She needs a father, not a playmate." He quietly leaves early one dawn, and we don't find him again until 13 years later, when he shows up unexpectedly at Daisy's dance studio; both Benjamin and Daisy are in their fifties, yet Daisy looks middle-aged, while Benjamin barely looks 20. There is a brief romantic encounter, then the story doesn't pick up again until Daisy receives a call from Child Services, asking for her assistance with a confused boy who doesn't know who he is. Daisy moves back to the nursing home and becomes Benjamin's caretaker, until in 2003, appearing as an infant, he dies in Daisy's arms. So indeed, THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON is a "death story", but it is also a rich celebration of life.THE CRITERION COLLECTION version of this film is enthusiastically recommended. David Fincher has made a masterpiece, richly detailed and marvelously crafted; THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON could very well be this generation's "Citizen Kane".--D. Mikels, Esq.

I have no idea if this is true to the essence of the short story, but the movie stands on its own effortlessly.

I don’t know about you, but I could watch this 100 million times and never get old Benjamin buttons is a very very good movie and if you never have watched it I would highly recommend you to watch it

True art.

Worth the watch. Was highly satisfied and would recommend watching

I love this movie , great movie to have in the house.

Lot's of life lessons told throughout it

Great movie with a very interesting story line and ending.

Es gibt nicht wenige Filme, die sind einfach gut gemacht. Die einen aus diesem Grund, die anderen aus einem anderen. Einige wenige Filme dann schaffen es, dass ich sie nicht so schnell vergesse. Dieser Film gehört dazu.Die Idee zu diesem Film basiert auf einer Kurzgeschichte von Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald. Sie wurde im Mai 1922 in der Zeitschrift Collier's veröffentlicht, verschwand dann nicht wie so vieles, sondern wurde gleich im selben Jahr in der der Sammlung "Tales of the Jazz Age" als Buch veröffentlicht.Schaut man sich das Original an, dann bemerkt man die Unterschiede zum Film. Die Geschichte spielt 60 Jahre früher und in Baltimore, statt in New Orleans, sie nimmt auch einen vollkommen anderen Verlauf und wird fast beiläufig erzählt, wie ein Bericht über eine Kuriosität, denn das das ist das Leben von Benjamin Button: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.Der Film macht mehr aus der Geschichte, geht in die Tiefe und zeigt Dimensionen, die im Buch nicht einmal angedeutet werden. Ein Mensch kommt zur Welt, und sein Leben verläuft rückwärts. Beide Versionen, Kurzgeschichte und Film, kommen nur schwer mit einigen Aspekten dieses Gedankengangs klar. Die Kurzgeschichte versucht es erst gar nicht. Hier taucht ein Greis in voller Lebensgröße auf, von der Mutter ist anschließend nicht mehr die Rede.Im Film stirbt die Mutter und der entsetzte Vater setzt das Neugeborene auf den Treppen eines Altersheims auf. Eine Idee, die anschließend tatsächlich funktioniert. Sein Körper hat alle Anzeichen eines Lebens kurz vor dem Ende, sein Geist zeigt Demenz. Benjamin wird jünger, geht mit 17 Lebensjahren, als seine körperliche Verfassung es erlaubt, hinaus in das Leben, geht zur See, verlässt seine Kinder- und Jugendfreundin, die zur weltweit gefeierten Tänzerin wird. Und dann, beide sind schon Anfang 40 und in der Mitte ihres Lebens, treffen sich ihre Wege wieder und es kommt zu einer überaus berührenden Liebesgeschichte. Sie erleben eine faszinierende Zeit, Ihre Tochter kommt zur Welt und eine Entscheidung wird fällig ...Der Film kommt recht unaufgeregt daher, dauert fast drei Stunden und arbeitet sich Schritt für Schritt auf die Unausweichlichkeiten eines Menschenlebens hin, das in einem Körper abläuft, der gegen die Lebensentwicklung aller Anderen nicht altert, sondern immer jünger wird. Rahmen ist ein fiktives Tagebuch von Benjamin, vorgelesen von seiner Tochter am Sterbebett der Mutter. Eine interessante Idee, mit entschieden mehr Fantasie und Tiefgang umgesetzt als das Original des berühmten Schriftstellers.

Another wonderful bluray transfer by Criterion that is a real joy to watch as well as being the bargain of the year, at time of writing this is £4.64.The extras go on forever with ONE of the documentaries lasting longer than the, already long, film itself. Go to www.bluray. com for a comprehensive run down. Very highly recommended.

Excellent as usual.

great movie!

My friend advised me not to buy this criterion because the blue ray didn’t come in the classic criterion clear cases. However I bought the dvd and was pleasantly surprised when it arrived in the clear case and matches my other criterion dvds perfectly!