This one irrational thought that occurred to F. Scott Fitzgerald in 1920s that resulted in a fine artwork called "The Curious
Case of
Benjamin Button" in 2009. Set in New Orleans and spanning across almost a century, this story tells us of a man, Mr. Benjamin Button (Brad Pitt), who is born with severe deformities that occur to men not long from their graves. But he lives, grows up in a nursing home for elders, not feeling different from others in the house. As he grows older, he grows taller, but looks like an old man around his 70s or 80s, white hair, walking problems and all, always having this feeling, this curiosity inside him-What is on the other side of the street? His mama-Queenie (Taraji Henson), raised him and loved him like her own child. Of course the visual effects and make-up used in this movie are great, making the sexiest man in the world look a lot older. Brad Pitt now sure knows how he is going to look 50 years from now.
He meets this young girl, Daisy, who looks no older than his grandson, and they bond quickly, despite their apparent age difference, Daisy saying to Button-"I always knew you were different."
As he grows older, sorry, younger, he get taller and stronger, going out to work with Captain Mike (Jared Harris), who captains a tug-boat. He goes out to the world, spends a lot of time in Russia, long enough to get into a relationship with an Englishwoman, who is just another passing boat and leaves him after a windy affair, saying, 'it was nice to have known you.' Immediately Button and his crew on the tug-boat get pulled into war, and this time Benjamin sees death. Mike dies in his own hands, who just before dying utters the most beautiful dialogue in the movie-"You could be mad as a mad dog at the way things went...but in the end you have to let go."
Benjamin returns to New Orleans, to his mama. He meets up with Daisy, a grown woman now, all modern and famous. This was the Daisy he had never met, this was a new Daisy. But then, later Benjamin goes up to New York to meet Daisy, only to find out that she loves another man, from the famous dancing troupe to which she belongs. Hurt and lost, he returns home, later to meet Daisy again in the hospital in Paris. Daisy had broken her leg in an accident, and her dancing career was over. She passes up Benjamin's offer to live together once more. Benjamin grows younger even, this time a man of Brad Pitt's own age, no make-up, and this is where he could say "Absolutely" to Daisy's "Sleep with me." Yes, Daisy returns, and this time for good.
Benjamin and Daisy spend a lovely romantic relationship and this has been portrayed so beautifully, that you marvel at the fact that a man this abnormal, could do so normal things and live life so normally.
But then Daisy conceives, and Benjamin is thoughtful again. What would happen in the future, Daisy can't take care of two children, the child would want a normal father. He leaves, goes to India, lives of sraps and bits. He returns again to find Daisy older than him, the last time, at least the last time in his right mind. Because they meet again when Button is all older and younger- a boy, who does not remember anything, just like an old man would if he suffered from Alzheimer's. He doesn't recognize Daisy-Daisy takes him under her wing, and they grow old together, once more. It is real saddening when a baby-Benjamin when he is on his deathbed-dies while looking into his ex-spouse's old eyes.
All-in-all a wonderful movie, marred only by the fact that it is a bit too long, but a very romantic experience altogether. The best scene of this movie is the part when Benjamin, carries his actual father to a place the old man cherished as a child, to let the old man enjoy the thing he liked the most one last time, even after learning that the father had dumped him soon after his birth.
"You could be mad as a mad dog at the way things went...but in the end you have to let go."