The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a film based on a short story written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Played by actor Brad Pitt, the film follows the life of Benjamin Button which is being read in a diary by the daughter of a woman on her death bed. The story transitions to Buttons point of view shortly after she reads and takes place in its setting of New Orleans in the 20th century.  Upon being born at birth, his mother dies and he is abandoned by his father who disgusted by the appearance of his new born son. With the looks and ailments of an 80 year old man he is left at the doorstep of a nursing home where he is discovered by Queeni (Taraji P. Henson) and her husband Tizzy who work there. Although against Tizzy’s wishes, she accepts him and names him Benjamin. Although Benjamin is older than he seems he is treated as a child by his surrogate mother. Throughout the beginning he hangs out mostly with the elderly people in the nursing home. He meets his childhood friend Daisy through her grandmother who is at the nursing home. They develop a bond and act as children should act. His appearance becoming younger over time and the looks of a 70 year old, he takes on a job on a tugboat and learns at a young age (figuratively) adult life like bars and sex. It is at a bar he has his first encounter with his father though it is not revealed to him. Benjamin leaves town with the tugboat crew venturing across the world. Eventually they enlist in World War II and he sees death from a new perspective.  He comes back home looking like a man in his late 40’s, early 50’s. His childhood friend has grown up and is a professional dancer in New York . Though they have a few encounters, Daisy mostly denies Benjamin’s advances. He meets with his ailing father again where he learns the truth and upon his death, inherits all his assets. Daisy comes back into his life, with the intentions this time of staying. With their ages physically and mentally the same (roughly early to mid 40’s), they get their own place and have a child. A worried Benjamin leaves out after his daughter is one, believing he can’t be a real father with his condition.  He travels the world and becomes younger and younger, seeing Daisy one more time at the age of 25. The next time, he is a pre teen with dementia and Daisy begins to care for him at the nursing home. Daisy takes care of Benjamin all the way to an infant where he looks up at her and dies in her arms. The movie gives life a “what if” meaning they way it fully illustrates a backwards life. Although long, almost three hours even, Brad Pitt, as well as the storyline is sure to keep your attention. The Curios Case of Benjamin Button gives an in depth story from beginning to end on the life of a person surrounded by death, knowing that in about 80 years his fate would be the same. He lives a life like any normal person, only being normal himself.  Grade: A     

• Michael Jones