The Curious Case of Benjamin Button-a review

In a break from my usual commentaries I'm presenting a review of the new Brad Pitt movie The Curious Case of Benjamin Button based on a short story by F.Scott Fitzgerald which I found extremely well written, well acted with a good intriguing, quirky storyline and a few misty eyed scenes. The story involves a young boy,Benjamin Button who is born like an 85 year old man. His mother dies in childbirth and the father thinking this wrinkly baby is a monster grabs him from the cradle and tries to throw him in the river, but ends up leaving him on the door steps of a senior citizen home run by a young black woman named Queenie who raises him like her own child.

Through the years Benjamin learns things from the old folks there like playing the piano and writing things and befriends a young girl named Daisy who is the grand daughter of one of the residents. When Benjamin (now played by Brad Pitt) becomes 20 years old he looks 65 and befriends a tugboat captain and signs onto his tug.When WW11 breaks out the tug is commisioned to the navy and is attacked at sea by the Japanese. Benjamin is the only survivor and goes onto several adventures and meeting interesting people. This part reminded me of a little like Forest Gump and the people he met thoughout his life. Through all this he sends postcards back to Daisy now played by Kate Blanchett and who is now a famous stage dancer and keeps in touch with her. The negative side of his condition is that as he gets older, he becomes younger as everyone else gets older. When he's 60 he looks 20 and so on.

I found the movie to be very intropesctive as when Benjamin tells Daisy "Nothing lasts forever" and when he encounters his father or the first time before his father dies who leaves him his button business Button's Buttons and his sailboat.

The entire movie is told in flashbacks from a diary Benjamin kept now owned by Daisy and read by her daughter to her as Daisy lays dying in a hospital a very elderly lady. I won't reveal the ending but only to say that this is a must see. If you don't see it in a theater then you can catch it on TV or DVD. It is long at two hours and 45 minutes,but very engrossing with good solid performances not seen much in today's movies. Don't miss The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Those who would like to know the ending can email me for the info. :D