The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

The film begins in a hospital with Caroline and her mother, her mother is dying with only a few hours to live. She suddenly tells Caroline the tale of Mr Gateux (or Mr Cake) and his train station clock, the clock runs backward, and this prompts Caroline's mother to ask Caroline to read from a diary she has in her suitcase.

The diary has been written by a man Caroline doesn't know, and is the story of his life, it was written by Benjamin Button. Benjamin was born on the night that World War I ended; whilst everyone else is celebrating Benjamin's father is rushing home to his wife. He gets home to find the priest has already been called and the doctor informs him that she will die shortly. He rushes to his wife's side, and with her last few breathes she asks him to make sure 'there will always be a place for him', her husband agrees, but within seconds of seeing the boy his promise is forgotten. The sight of his son horrifies him so much that he rushes to the river to drown him, but is interrupted by a night watchman. Instead he runs until he comes across an old people’s home, and leaves the child on the step and places a few dollars inside the blanket.

Queenie is in charge of the home and soon discovers the baby on the steps, she's initially repulsed by the sight of the baby, but it only takes a few seconds for her to redeem her composure. She asks the doctor go take a look at the baby, he informs her that he's suffering from diseases normally associated with the elderly, and he wouldn't be long for the world. Queenie decides to take the boy in and nurse him through his last few days, but those last few days don't come as Benjamin gets stronger and stronger, almost as if he's getting younger not older.

Cast

Brad Pitt as Benjamin Button – adult
Spencer Daniels as Benjamin Button – age 12
Cate Blanchett as Daisy Fuller – adult
Elle Fanning as Daisy Fuller – age 6
Madisen Beaty as Daisy Fuller – age 11
Taraji P. Henson as Queenie
Julia Ormond as Caroline Fuller
Jason Flemyng as Thomas Button

My Thoughts

I did wonder how they were going to turn this book into a film, and as with so many books the answer was obvious, to completely ignore the book and just make up your own story, although this story made slightly more sense than the book.

I quite enjoyed this film; it was one of those films that was good but not great. The main problem was that it seemed to go on a bit in the middle, and I found myself at one point wondering if it was ever going to come to an end.

I also think it would have benefitted from a different lead actor, I don't think Brad Pitt is a bad actor but because a lot of the film was narrated, it needed someone who was much more expressive with body language and facial expressions.

Some of the characters were really strong, Queenie for example, whilst others were very weak, Benjamin's dad, which was annoying, because the inconsistency meant the film went from some really good scenes to really bad in the click of a finger. I couldn't take to Blanchett’s character, (as she was in her twenties or thirties) because she was too sour faced and downright nasty in parts, but she wasn't one of those evil villains you love to hate either.

I wasn't overly impressed with the effects to be honest, but then what does an 80 year old baby look like? I suppose it could have been quite a good rendition, but we'll never know. They also didn't seem to age Blanchett properly, at one point she was complaining of wrinkles yet you could have bounced a penny off her face, her skin was that taut.

I had to put the subtitles on at the beginning, because the speech from Caroline's mother was so muffled (due to her being close to death) I couldn't understand what she was saying. I turned them off when the film proper started, but because it kept flashing back to the hospital I left them on for the duration of the film in the end.

I did enjoy the film, but I wouldn't rush to watch it again.