The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Paramount Pictures | Release Date: December 25, 2008
7.4
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Generally favorable reviews based on 683 Ratings
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8
bigjon1958Jun 3, 2017
Do many movies are been there done that movies with predictable story lines. In fact most movies these days are like this and still, can be good movies. I still enjoy the Star Wars movies even though they follow similar story lines, justDo many movies are been there done that movies with predictable story lines. In fact most movies these days are like this and still, can be good movies. I still enjoy the Star Wars movies even though they follow similar story lines, just different characters from generation to generation. Look at all the X Men movies - most good, yet similar story lines. Most love stories - you pretty much know how it's going to end - maybe jut not how it's going to get there. But this movie is one of a kind. In a way it's somewhat similar to the movie Forrest Gump in that it deals with a very unique individual who is different than everyone else, mixes in a love story, and also adventures along the way. I really enjoyed the movie. It wasn't intense from an action perspective, more from an emotional perspective. A well told story that I think most will enjoy. It is a long movie - nothing says you can split it in two and watch it over two nights.… Expand
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9
IndiefilmloverJun 18, 2018
This well-crafted film has a clever plot, stunning visuals, and winning performances from the cast. It's a bit overlong, but engaging throughout.
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8
SpangleAug 31, 2014
Probably one of the more unique films I have ever seen, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a moving film about life and truly wraps you up into its world and never lets you go, ultimately leaving you deeply affected and moved by the film.Probably one of the more unique films I have ever seen, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a moving film about life and truly wraps you up into its world and never lets you go, ultimately leaving you deeply affected and moved by the film. The direction by David Fincher is fantastic as usual. The cinematography is also gorgeous and perfect for a film of this type. The costume and production design are also pitch perfect, as is the stunning makeup. The makeup is some of the best I have ever seen in a film, honestly. The acting from Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, and Taraji P. Henson, is also very powerful and very good. The unique story of a man born old and who gets younger as time goes on, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a touching, brilliantly made film that is a tad long, but never feels as long as it is, especially since you wish there was more to see once the credits start rolling. While the romance elements have been done before, the unique twist thrown in here adds a certain freshness to it that elevates it above your usual romantic film. This is a film you need to see.… Expand
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8
JawsLaxerDramaDec 21, 2012
This movie is LONGGG. Very long. So it pays to be into a deep psychological mood or even pondering the meaning of life. Brad Pitt stars as Ben Button. This film, while some complain it is too long, too boring,etc., it is very REWARDING in theThis movie is LONGGG. Very long. So it pays to be into a deep psychological mood or even pondering the meaning of life. Brad Pitt stars as Ben Button. This film, while some complain it is too long, too boring,etc., it is very REWARDING in the end. Sure, complain that it doesn't have a story. It is not one of those light-hearted movies, it is not a comedy; but a genius film that depicts life in a different way. I thought it was a magical movie, and offered the very best. The camera tells the story, and as a result, I did actually cry at the end. Decide for yourself if you really like it, but I know I did. B+… Expand
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7
MonstrosityNov 8, 2012
The Curious case of Benjamine button is verryyyyyyy longgggggg. Brad Pitt does a great job and i like the narration. It was suprisingly sadder then i expected, but still felt longer then it should.
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9
theseparatorFeb 11, 2014
As an elderly woman lies on her deathbed she recounts the peculiar story of Benjamin Button, a man whose life is inexplicably tied to a mysterious backwards-running clock. After Benjamin’s mother dies in childbirth, the father abandons babyAs an elderly woman lies on her deathbed she recounts the peculiar story of Benjamin Button, a man whose life is inexplicably tied to a mysterious backwards-running clock. After Benjamin’s mother dies in childbirth, the father abandons baby Benjamin because of his stark physical defects. Luckily Queenie, a black woman who manages a senior’s care home, finds newborn Benjamin and raises him herself. For the rest of his life Benjamin calls Queenie mother.

When Benjamin is born, he emerges prematurely aged. Medical tests show that he has the physical characteristics of a person in his eighties. Originally penned by F. Scott Fitzgerald, makes Benjamin Button tells a peculiar life story that forays in the world of the fantastic: the crux of the story is that, just as the clock ticks backwards, Benjamin too ages in reverse. He gets younger and younger over time.

The task of dealing with this massive disconnect between his physically aged exterior, and his inner infantile self, forces Benjamin to attempt to act like an adult (to match his aged exterior), but no matter how hard he tries his true inner child shines through, especially whenever it comes to booze and women, areas where he has zero experience. Benjamin wins the adoration of most every character he meets, and along the way he breaks through the prejudicial barriers that age and race typically erect.

This film is a diversion for Fincher. Many of the defining qualities of David Fincher’s films are not so very present in Benjamin Button. This charmed, almost magical tale shares none of the characteristic of other Fincher scripts. It is not filtered through the darkened lens of hyper awareness; there is none of the desolation and bleak deconstruction of modern culture that fills Zodiac, the most recently released Fincher film before this one.

Benjamin Button seems to be the only film in Fincher's body of work that is not a dark, psychological thriller. Here, Fincher proves that he can work in drama just as well as he can work in action and suspense, however he does have expert help.

The director of photography Claudio Miranda, who had worked on a number of Fincher’s earlier pictures, sets the tones and temperature of the images so they project like a thriller, dark with shadows, slight, almost sepia toned. A highly refined picture quality.

Once again, this film features Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter, the brilliant editing team that would go on to win multiple Oscars for best editing in The Social Network and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. They brilliantly let visuals alone tell as much of the story as possible. As with Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Benjamin Button has tons of shots and locations. The exact opposite of Panic Room.

Eric Roth & David Fincher

The technique of recounting the story through recollection as a series of flashbacks, as well as Benjamin’s unexpected success despite his handicap, make Benjamin Button bear an off-putting resemblance to the structure of Forest Gump (1994). This is no coincidence.

The same writer who won an Oscar for his Forest Gump screenplay, Eric Roth, is also the writer of Benjamin Button.

As characters both Forest and Benjamin worked on boats, both took part in World Wars, and both perpetually pursue women from their childhood. What is great thought is that Fincher is able to divert this potential redundancy. While Forest bumbles along, simply falling into phenomenal situations, Benjamin paves his own way. It’s existential drive versus dumb luck.… Expand
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9
marcmyworksJul 19, 2016
Its interesting that I had not seen this film sooner (mostly because of critical backlash as well the idea of sitting and watching a three hour film about 'growing young' did not appeal to me). HOWEVER, I am glad I finally took the time toIts interesting that I had not seen this film sooner (mostly because of critical backlash as well the idea of sitting and watching a three hour film about 'growing young' did not appeal to me). HOWEVER, I am glad I finally took the time to watch. This is an original, and is probably one of the most beautifully lit films I have ever seen. Brad Pitt's performance is effortless and Cate Blanchett proves why she is one of Hollywood's A-listers.… Expand
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9
jacob4Jun 16, 2015
One of David Fincher's best masterpieces. Though the movie maybe pretty long and some what boring, it still had some action and comedy, interesting characters, an interesting story and concept, and heart wrenching moments that will make youOne of David Fincher's best masterpieces. Though the movie maybe pretty long and some what boring, it still had some action and comedy, interesting characters, an interesting story and concept, and heart wrenching moments that will make you cry, truly they will. The acting is fantastic. This is truly a masterpiece of the 2000s.… Expand
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8
wornoutspinesMar 12, 2015
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a weird little - it’s a 2 hours and half - film. The subject is intriguing enough to get you to watch it but you stay because it’s simply captivating. I was so invested in the story that I cried severalThe Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a weird little - it’s a 2 hours and half - film. The subject is intriguing enough to get you to watch it but you stay because it’s simply captivating. I was so invested in the story that I cried several times while watching it. The film is touching and heartwarming, and also subtle. It seamlessly breezes through times and really brings to life what the tagline is about “Life isn’t measured in minutes but in moments.”

The film does go through Benjamin Button’s life and really shows every step, moments, that defined who he is. The movie is very much grounded in reality which makes the fantasy elements of the story real. You quickly believe that a boy born old but with the mind of baby is possible. So the magic is there, grounded in the reality of Benjamin’s life. I don’t know who to accredit this to but it’s very clear, palpable, that when Benjamin is growing up, looking like a man in his nineties his youthful energy shines through.

Brad Pitt, being the title character is just stunning in this film. He helps make the weird aspects of the film OK. The same goes for Taraji P. Henson, she makes the old wrinkled baby the most normal thing, she brought the dramatic gut wrenching emotions of a mother’s love in all her scenes. They all have their moments Julia Ormond, Tilda Swinton and Cate Blanchett all bring another layer, another moment in Benjamin’s life. Blanchett evokes the undeniable question of love, and a lasting one as that. Benjamin’s condition raises a valid question about age and love, which is interestingly dealt with in the film.

More than a riveting story with great acting, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a technical prowess. The make up, the cinematography, and the special effects are mind-blowing Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett look older and then younger and it’s done beautifully. The darkness and lighting in David Fincher’s style of film making really compliments the story but more so the technicality of the film. He was the perfect director for and did an amazing job throughout.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a wonderful film about time, life, and love. It’s another David Fincher masterpiece that is timeless.

@wornoutspines… Expand
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9
johnniMar 24, 2015
فیلم سعی داره که تاثیر زمان رو بر زندگی با معکوس نشون دادنش بهتر نشون بده که با کارگردانی و بازی خوب موفق هم شده. ولی نقطه ضعف فیلم زمان زیاد فیلمه که ممکنه تماشاگر رو خسته کنه.فیلم سعی داره که تاثیر زمان رو بر زندگی با معکوس نشون دادنش بهتر نشون بده که با کارگردانی و بازی خوب موفق هم شده. ولی نقطه ضعف فیلم زمان زیاد فیلمه که ممکنه تماشاگر رو خسته کنه.
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9
MovieManiac83Apr 24, 2015
The premise underlying The Curious Case of Benjamin Button might sound more appropriate for a science fiction tale than a meditative drama. Indeed, the concept of a man aging backward has formed the basis for more than one sci-fi tinged storyThe premise underlying The Curious Case of Benjamin Button might sound more appropriate for a science fiction tale than a meditative drama. Indeed, the concept of a man aging backward has formed the basis for more than one sci-fi tinged story - from novels to an animated Star Trek episode - but the source material for this film is a 1922 short written by acclaimed novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald. The original "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" functions as little more than an inspiration for this movie, which takes the idea and the name and follows a divergent path from the one mapped out by Fitzgerald. David Fincher's film is its own entity and, despite some minor flaws, it is undeniably engrossing and one of the more intriguing and emotionally resonant features of the 2008 holiday season.

Chaos theory - the idea that small perturbations in the natural order in one place can cause ripple effects to be felt far and wide - lies at the heart and soul of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. The only constant in life is change and it happens whether driven by fate (or kismet) or chance. One delicious vignette provides an explicit example as a car accident results from a series of small, seemingly unrelated interim incidents. Remove any one and that accident would not have happened. And, take away the accident and the rest of the movie would have moved on a different path toward a alternate ending. Life is like that. We never know whether any given action will vanish like a stone tossed into a pond or whether the ripples of that toss will build into a tsunami.

If there's a Forrest Gump quality to the movie, that's unsurprising, considering that the screenwriter, Eric Roth, was responsible for both scripts. Like Forrest, Benjamin is an outcast of society, and history marches by him in a series of vignettes. But director David Fincher's darker side is in evidence. Benjamin does not share Forrest's charmed existence. For him, life is not a box of chocolates, and Jenny does not lie at the end of the rainbow. The ending of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button may feel a little rushed, but it is also elegiac. Many may see this as a more grown-up version of Forrest Gump, but it feels to me like something from the pen of Charlie Kaufman, who enjoys playing with time and conventions in much the way Fincher and Roth do here.

The film is structured to comprise three major segments. The first represents Benjamin's childhood, when his seemingly failing physical appearance is belied by his increasing mental agility. For someone with his disability, he is surprisingly well adjusted, but some of that comes from having a loving mother. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button's second act occurs just before, during, and after World War II. That's when the main character enters into an affair with a middle-aged British woman (Tilda Swinton) in Russia, serves aboard a tugboat during the conflict, and returns home looking more hale and healthy than when he left. Finally, the third piece of the puzzle follows Benjamin from middle age into his golden years, when he learns a few things about sacrifice and redefining life and happiness.

For the most part, the acting is of the highest quality, with supporting performers like Tilda Swinton, Jared Harris (as the captain of the tugboat aboard which Benjamin finds service), and Julia Ormond making the most of limited screen time. Cate Blanchett brings vibrancy and spirit to Daisy. Brad Pitt, however, is marginally less successful. His portrayal is solid but lacks the extra element necessary to catapult it into greatness. When Benjamin looks old, Pitt plays him as old, not as a young man trapped in a much older body. And when Benjamin looks young, Pitt plays him with the verve of a young man, not as an "old soul." The subtleties are missing and this may be the single element that could make it difficult for some to accept the premise.

Although the movie is presented as a series of vignettes, its full impact is not felt until the whole is absorbed. Even the 2005 scenes with Caroline by her mother's bedside feed into what Fincher and Roth are saying about chaos theory, fate, and the sometimes unforgiving jolts imparted by change. In the end, Benjamin's reverse-aging is just a filter that allows us to gain a slightly skewed perception about the process of living and, perhaps by looking through that glass darkly, a better understanding of human nature. Is that too much for a mainstream movie to achieve? Perhaps, and I'm not sure The Curious Case of Benjamin Button takes us as far down that path as it might hope to. But there's no denying the film's power of compulsion and the sense that, when it's all over, it means something. Most viewers will be entertained and moved, and some will find their intellect aroused. The source material may be F. Scott Fitzgerald, but The Curious Case of Benjamin Button has come a long way from where it started 86 years ago.… Expand
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7
hanneguacamoleJul 27, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. "His body's failing him before his life's begun." As the title implies, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a curious one indeed. Yet the plot was predictable and not curious in the slightest, save the fact that Benjamin ages backwards. It almost reminded me of a twist on Tuck Everlasting. Horribly star-crossed lovers that can never truly be together.

I always knew there was some significance in the fact that Daisy's daughter, Caroline, was reading the story to her dying mother. It's her life as well, and as her mother lies on her death bed, she sees her mother's world, one that had never previously existed.

Benjamin's life is probably the highlight of the movie. It's interesting to see how the disconnect between his age and his body relate to the outside world. Yet the movie itself is long and drawn out – at points even painful to watch. Perhaps like Benjamin's life, painful to watch those he loves age as he just becomes younger and younger. Daisy and Benjamin may not have been able to grow old together, but they died together. The movie is tied together with stringent relations like the lightning strikes, the final glances of love, and the mutterings of "If I didn't know better I'd think this man was old/young."

This movie is no slouch, but it's not going to be anything to write home about. A mediocre (and almost disturbing?) life and lessons that could have been figured on your own, the Buttons aren't as spectacular as I had hoped.… Expand
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7
EpicLadySpongeMar 12, 2016
Benjamin Button isn't really adventurous, but it considers up a load of fun waiting for the Curious Case.... of Benjamin Button. The fun begins and ends when the movie begins and ends.
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8
SrPepeFeb 9, 2018
Una historia increíble con actores brillantes, merece mucha más puntuación.
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10
MerngieMay 17, 2016
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. i wounder how this movie get only 7.2
one of the best movies you can see. brad Pitt make the rule of his life beside "fight club"
david fincher will get the oscar oneday.… Expand
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9
amheretojudgeSep 18, 2019
A rare cinematic art that never romanticizes his protagonist and instead he does, Brad does, with his performance.

The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button David Fincher is a controversial director in my house. Sophisticatedly picant in hisA rare cinematic art that never romanticizes his protagonist and instead he does, Brad does, with his performance.

The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button

David Fincher is a controversial director in my house. Sophisticatedly picant in his language, his direction matches Steven Soderberg's capability of three dimensional perspective. And if looked upon, their careers have been similar. They both are known for the direction and not the writing. But David is ahead in popularity. He has captured some catchy stories including mystery novels and even biographies about arguably the most famous face of 21st century. And this is where I trail off. I haven't always been so giddy up about the material he gets on his table. His direction exceeds the script he gets.

And among few times when he has been blessed with an awe inspiring content, this would be the Holy Grail. This old style filmmaking that Fincher turns towards is a delightful gift to his fans. There is an unprecedented calmness in this film that makes the audience present in that frame. For three hours you are told to sit beside a death bed in a hospital room and you have never been honored like such in a Fincher set. A major character is of course Eric Roth's signature element, innocence in the film.

A film that provides every possible database to be found in this long weekend that we call "life", it never puts any vice in these characters. Even the bad ones. The ones holding their promises to the other side of the door. And as far as the protagonist, Brad Pitt, Benjamin Button, is concerned, he is written like a wise old soul. The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, to me, was exactly that, as in what made them decide to write him as a mature personality affecting these many lives around him, the writers explains it by claiming him the most experienced or oddly experienced.… Expand
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10
DiptanshuMar 7, 2020
Perfect just perfect,literally greatest movie ever made,just made me curious on how just how great it was everything was just unbelievable and great!sure a definite classic with awesome score and screenplay and performances!david fincher is a legend!
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8
twistedoracleAug 14, 2020
Hats off to the director of this 'wonderful journey.' The movie is underrated to a far extent. One may have some emotional breakdowns at certain times and become numb and enlightened as the story unfolds. It is perfect for a person who lovesHats off to the director of this 'wonderful journey.' The movie is underrated to a far extent. One may have some emotional breakdowns at certain times and become numb and enlightened as the story unfolds. It is perfect for a person who loves movies with the earlier 20th century themed-drama… Expand
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7
HabibiehakimJun 29, 2022
It is a very interesting story to tell but The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button sadly made to the same old cases of a romance story, nothing's wrong with that as long as it's convincing, but for me personally it's kinda a rare case for aIt is a very interesting story to tell but The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button sadly made to the same old cases of a romance story, nothing's wrong with that as long as it's convincing, but for me personally it's kinda a rare case for a convincing couples that they do it rightly, Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett already became a couple in one of their previous film Babel which i love and they play husband and wife on that film and it works, they have some great chemistry on that film, and i think particularly for this one the way they portray their relationship is somehow did not work for me, they're both doing just fine as they're self but not together, so that's my main problem of the film, the second is i think the phase of the second act of the film which i found not bad but way too slow and i did got quite a lot of yawn during the second act, and for the first act it works just completely fine, so overall The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button is quite a problematic film in terms of a phasing and main character relationsip with a very interesting basic story that ended in still quite a nice way and i also still mostly enjoyed it for a 2 hours and 45 minutes film and that's one of the big pros of the film, it is quite a disappoinment of a movie coming from someone like David Fincher but as a movie itself overall it was just ok.… Expand
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10
AliufJun 25, 2021
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. show a life reversely while Benjamin AND his love reach to their milestone which their age are near to each other combine with his eyes on Daisy and her friend in theater and bar while they are dancing makes the movie a MASTERPIECE.… Expand
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7
frightopiaMar 19, 2023
The film had fantastic acting and a great concept, however it could get extremely slow at times.
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