The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
2008 · Directed by David Fincher
Original language: English
- drama
- fantasy
- romance
The story
Born under unusual circumstances, Benjamin Button springs into being as an elderly man in a New Orleans nursing home and ages in reverse. Twelve years after his birth, he meets Daisy, a child who flits in and out of his life as she grows up to be a dancer. Though he has all sorts of unusual adventures over the course of his life, it is his relationship with Daisy, and the hope that they will come together at the right time, that drives Benjamin forward.
What it’s like
Warm amber interiors and cool blue-grey exteriors give this film a patient, painterly look, with David Fincher's camera drifting through New Orleans porches, wartime ports and a Paris hotel room in long, unhurried movements and soft natural light. Digital imagery is worked into a gently aged palette, so sepia-tinged rooms and rain on old glass feel like a memory being handled carefully. The score is orchestral and tender, with piano and strings swelling over quiet clocks and ticking watches, and the sound design leaves room for the hush of hospital corridors and river water. Its vibe is wistful, unhurried and quietly romantic, a long, reflective sit that suits a rainy Sunday or a slow evening with a cup of tea. The pacing is measured across more than a century, and its emotional register is elegiac: a man who is growing younger while the people he loves grow older, circling a bond that keeps missing its moment. Intensity is moderate: some wartime violence, a brief fatal accident, and a few frank sexual scenes, but mostly it is gentle and contemplative. It is for viewers who enjoy melancholy, sweeping period drama and love stories that move slowly through time.
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