The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

If you are the type who gets put off by the hype around a movie - in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, I'd recommend that you make an exception and go watch it - its really worth your time! Based on the intriguing premise of a person aging backwards - and based on a Scott F. Fitzgerald short story of the same name - Benjamin Button is an involving watch even though you already know the basic premise of the story. Born as an old wrinkly child with arthritis and rheumatism, who grows younger as he grows up, Brad Pitt plays the lead character Benjamin Button. And he does a wonderful job of it, notwithstanding the CGI help.

The movie starts with an old woman on her deathbed, insisting that her daughter read aloud a diary - that of Benjamin Button. And we move back into a flashback - 1918, the day World War I ended and Benjamin was born, losing his mother at childbirth. His father cant bear to look at him and abandons him the very same day. Thankfully he is adopted by a large-hearted old-age-home-caretaker, who loves him unconditionally and helps him face the hostile world.

The movie goes on to highlight events - events that Benjamin thinks are significant in his life - his first crush, his first drink, his first affair etc. The people he came across - some like Daisy (Cate Blanchett) whom he claims he can never forget, and others who had a smaller impact on his life, some of whom he cant even remember the names. And interwoven with his life are historical events - second World War, the baby boomer generation and there is even a rocket launch from Florida. Even though the story slows down a little towards the end, it still carries with itself enough interest in the life of Benjamin Button - or rather, his eventual end. The director finely balances the need to highlight different 'life incidents' in Benjamin's life with the depth and believability of these experiences. Interestingly, his love story with Daisy has lot of parallels with that of Forest Gump. But it isnt very obvious because Forest's achievements are extraordinary while Benjamin doesnt do anything on the same scale.

And that brings me to my main criticism of this movie. Throughout the narration, Benjamin keeps focussing on things that you do in life. But disappointingly, Benjamin himself doesnt do anything significant in his life - absolutely nothing !! With such an extraordinary quality in his life, he lives his life REALLY ordinarily - unless you call aimless wandering around the world significant. But this is not something that bothers you when you are watching the movie - its only when you come out of the theater that you wonder what Benjamin Button's life was really about.
'Ordinary life' notwithstanding, Benjamin Button is a definite watch - for its unique concept and a warm look at relationships and life.