The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)

David Fincher (dir. Zodiac, The Game, Fight Club) delivers a thoughtful meditation on age in this adaptation of an F. Scott Fitzgerald short story.

Benjamin Button is born with the physical ailments of an elderly man but with the innocent mind of a child. As time passes in his Louisiana home his body becomes younger and his mind matures. The film chronicles this mysterious occurrence over a span of 80 years or so in American history.

The pacing in the film is slow, but also needed as much of the film depends on steady progression and the sense that time is passing. The acting is also superb, giving tremendous strength to the characters. The soundtrack isn't overwhelming as it may have been in a similar film like Forrest Gump, but rather very much a supporting and subtle element.

Overall, the film is a fortress in filmmaking and a generous contribution to the art.

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