The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Rating: Null/10 (31 July 2011)

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is directed by David Fincher and screenplay by Eric Roth and Robin Swicord. This movie is based on a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald. This film stars Brad Pitt as Benjamin, Cate Blanchett as Daisy, and supporting actress Taraji P. Henson as Queenie. The main theme of the movie is to appreciate what you are given because each day is a gift.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button begins as an elderly Daisy is on her death bed in a hospital in New Orleans as Hurricane Katrina is about ready to hit. Daisy asks her daughter, Caroline, to read a journal from a man named Benjamin. Caroline begins to read the journal and it tells of the life of Benjamin Button. Benjamin was born an old man and aged backwards. Benjamin's mother died during childbirth and his father, very angry, placed Benjamin on the steps of a nursing home. The caretakers of the nursing home, Queenie and Mr. Tizzy, took Benjamin in and raised him as their own. The story follows Benjamin and the people he meets throughout his life to include Daisy, the first girl he ever loved. The story follows Benjamin on his unique journey of life.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is like the movie The Time Traveler's Wife because the main character suffers from a rare genetic disorder that makes him travel through time while he attempts to develop a relationship with the love of his life. This is similar to the theme of The Curious Case of Benjamin button which is to appreciate what you are given because each day is a gift.
The movie uses camera angles and lighting to highlight the memory of Daisy when Benjamin first met her. Benjamin recalls remembering how beautiful Daisy's blue eyes were. The camera angle and lighting highlighted the blue eyes giving less color to everything around Daisy making her blue eyes seem to pop off of the screen. These angles and lighting tricks make young Daisy's image stick in your mind just as Benjamin remembered her. This relates to the theme because Daisy does not visit her Grandmother very often and Benjamin would appreciate every opportunity he had to spend with Daisy.
The characters were easy to relate to in the movie and the theme, to appreciate each day you have, is apparent throughout the movie and is a great message for anyone regardless of where they are in their life cycle.