The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button (2008)

Set in New Orleans, an elderly woman (Cate Blanchett) on her deathbed asks her daughter (Julia Ormond) to read from the diary of a man she once knew called Benjamin Button (Brad Pitt in an Oscar nominated performance). Benjamin was born with the appearance and maladies of an elderly man but as the years go by, he progressively becomes younger. Loosely based on a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald (THE GREAT GATSBY) and directed by David Fincher (GONE GIRL). The most humanistic of Fincher's films and despite its inordinate length (it pushes the three hour mark), my favorite of his cinematic output. It's just a lovely, poignant tale beautifully told and well acted. The film had been trying to get off the ground since the 1980s with directors like Steven Spielberg, Ron Howard, Frank Oz, Spike Jonze set to direct and actors like Tom Cruise, John Travolta and Martin Short in mind for the title role. Thankfully none of that came to pass as it's just about perfect the way it is and I can't imagine anyone else but Brad Pitt in the title role. The film received mostly positive reviews although it had its share of detractors which mystifies me (Roger Ebert just didn't get it). Magical and affecting, it gives us much to ponder as it examines a life worth living. With Taraji P. Henson (in an Oscar nominated performance), Tilda Swinton, Jared Harris, Elle Fanning, Mahershala Ali, Elias Koteas and Jason Flemyng.