Life Can Only Be Understood Backward. It Must Be Lived Forward.

Rating: Null/10 (12 January 2015)

A David Fincher film that's quite unlike any other David Fincher film, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button marks the esteemed filmmaker's first foray into a genre that's very different compared to his usuals, is a fascinating portrait of life seen from a different perspective, and even though it may not be not as amazing as Fincher's best works, it's certainly his most distinct film to date.
Inspired from F. Scott Fitzgerald's short story of the same name, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button tells the life story of its titular character, who was born with all the characteristics of an old man but starts getting younger in appearance as the years pass by. The film covers his adventures & experiences as he journeys through life in reverse, & also follows the life of Daisy; his love interest.
Directed by David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button features many of the director's trademarks, especially in its visual & sound design but it's not a film that many of his fans will enjoy or appreciate. Fincher shows a fine grip on storytelling elements here, keeps each event firmly glued to another & does a pretty neat job in wrapping up the project that had been stuck in development hell for years.
Coming to the technical aspects, Set pieces are well-detailed & fit the different timelines they are depicted in, Cinematography benefits a lot from Fincher's sweeping cinematic vision & the colour composition is spot-on, Editing could've paced the story a little better for its runtime is felt on few occasions, Visual effects & make-up work in near-perfect harmony with each other, and Alexandre Desplat's score is a welcome one.
As far as performances go, the screen is shared by either Brad Pitt or Cate Blanchett or both for the most part, and the two stars chip in with fabulous contributions in their given roles. Adding further strength to its cast are Tilda Swinton & Taraji P. Henson, but there's nothing memorable about the acting here. More than the performances & the narrative, it's how the events are filmed which leaves a lasting impression.
On an overall scale, David Fincher's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button often gets a lot of flak from his admirers & others but it isn't as bad as they say, it's just quite different. I really enjoyed watching it, absolutely loved that monologue when Button travels to India & don't really mind recommending it to anyone. There are many similarities between this & Forrest Gump, so if you like that Tom Hanks starrer, you're very likely to have a good time with this one.