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Film Title: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

 Best for ages: 13 and up.

Movie Website:  Click Here

Year Released: 2008

Rated: PG-13 (US)

SYNOPSIS

Click Here What if you were born old and as time goes by you got younger. That's pretty much what The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is all about. Brad Piit is Benjamin Button a man living life in reverse.  This is the story of what it would be like to be born old, and spend time in a nursing home when your really a child, and should be out playing, having fun and learning the ways of the world. But instead Ben is stuck around a bunch of old people waiting to die, while he's waiting to grow young.  As Ben grows younger, he gains more knowledge and becomes stronger. His life becomes one big adventure as he meets new people, and the love of his life.  The film takes place in the time around World War I and though most of the twenty-first century. It's a story of how one man born in reverse has to over come many obstacles to live life to the fullest. 

The Review

   I never got to see The Curious Case of Benjamin Button in theaters, and when I first caught wind that the film was nominated for thirteen Academy awards, I was thinking that this was going to be the film that was going to take it all. As we know it didn't, it only won three Oscars Best Achievement in Art Direction, Visual Effects and Make-up effects, which confused me at first, but now that I have seen the film I now know why it won in those categories. The effects on all level are amazing. It's funny seeing Brad Pitt as a small old man. The films strong points is it's visuals, where all the other elements in the movie take a back seat.

   The film does have a very well written script, one that can keep your attention, just as long as your willing to sit though the one hundred and sixty five minute film. Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett and the rest of the cast of the film all give great performances in their respected roles. Director David Fincher does a great job putting this film together, the production value is flawless. The cinematography is top notch as well as the overall set design, costumes and lighting.

   The Curious Case of Benjamin Button plays as a film that plays on that child trapped in an old man's body and vice versa. There are scenes in which you really feel bad for the character, one in particular where he meets a young Daisy and under a table at night they get caught telling stories to one another. Daisy get sent to her room, while Ben is told that he should be ashamed of himself for keeping a young child up so late at night. Ben does not understand why it's a big deal, but his adapted mother explains to him that people just don't, and won't understand his condition. Ben also learns about working, sex and women from a tug boat captain that hires him. He also meets his real father while drinking at a local bar. It's a tale of a man learning what's right and wrong as he gets younger. The story is by an older Daisy who is now on her death bed. She tells her daughter Caroline the story of Benjamin, as she reads though Ben's diary about the story of his life.

   The Criterion Collection DVD has a ton of special features on it's two discs.  Those features include commentary by director David Fincher, Interviews with Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, a four part Featurette about the making of the film, it's visual and make-up effects and how they bought the character of Benjamin Button to life on the screen.  There is also an interview with composer Alexandre Desplat, Featurettes on the films storyboards, costumes and art direction. Still galleries which include costume designs and candid behind the scenes production photos. The DVD also comes with optional French and Spanish dubbed tracks, as well as closed captioning for the hearing impaired

   Overall, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a very well made masterpiece.  For some people the running time may be a bit long and hard to sit though, but if you can really appreciate the great filmmaking and the story, it's a film that will keep your interest all the way though. It's a visually stunning film with great acting and out of this world visual and make-up effects. The film is rated PG-13 and it's a film that you can let your kids ages thirteen and up watch, that's if they are willing to sit though it. I think this film is really one that only teens who have an eye for film can sit though and mainly adults. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a great movie and one that does deserve the praise it has received.

What makes this film PG-13

Violence:

Fighting: YES

Killing: YES

Guns: YES

Gun Fights: YES

People/Animals being shot (by gun ,arrow or other projectile weapons): YES

Stabbing/Strangling: NO

Bombings: YES

Women harmed/killed: NO

Children harmed/killed: NO

Domestic Violence: NO

Animated Violence: (Cartoon Violence similar to Looney Toons) YES (There is a guy who gets struck by lighting several times.)

Graphic Content:

Sex: YES (Non-Graphic)

Nudity: Kind-of (It's complicated, but some of our characters are nude from a distance.)

Partial Nudity (Underwear/bra/bikini): YES

Revealing Clothes (Cleavage/low cut shorts/pants): YES

Blood: YES

Shootings: YES

Gore: YES

Sickness: YES

Death: YES

People Dying: YES

Drowning: YES (In a WWII scene a boat is blown up, so it can be assumed that any of the solders who are hurt might of drowned, but it's not really shown on screen.)

Suicide: NO

Police Brutality: NO

Corruption: YES

Drug Use: NO

Alcohol Use: YES

Smoking: YES

Greed: NO

Gambling: NO

Language:

Insults (Jerk, Idiots etc..) YES

Cursing: YES (Very Mild)

Crude Language: YES

Sexual Innuendos: YES

Sexual Insults: NO

Sexual Come-ons: YES

Adult Conversations: YES

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