Underplayed Gems

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button poster
Directed by
David Fincher
Genre
drama film, fantasy film, romance film, speculative fiction film
Country
United States
Runtime
2h 46m
Rated
PG-13
Rating
7.6 of 10 from 13,829 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
The 3D catalogue: film cases on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalogue in 3D

The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this film is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

A man is born as an old infant and ages backwards, living his life in reverse. The story follows his unusual journey and his relationship with a woman he loves across the decades.

melancholicromanticslow-burnvisually lushbittersweetdreamliketenderintrospectivepoignant

What happens

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a 2008 American romantic fantasy drama film directed by David Fincher and adapted by Eric Roth and Robin Swicord from F. Scott Fitzgerald's 1922 short story. The film stars Brad Pitt as a man who ages in reverse and Cate Blanchett as his love interest throughout his life. The film also stars Taraji P. Henson, Julia Ormond, Jason Flemyng, Elias Koteas, and Tilda Swinton. Producer Ray Stark bought the film rights to do the short story in the mid-1980s with Universal Pictures backing the film, but struggled to get the project off the ground until he sold the rights to producers Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall in the 1990s. Although it was moved to Paramount Pictures in the 1990s, the film did not enter production until after Fincher and Pitt signed on along with the rest of the cast in 2005. Principal photography began in November 2006 and wrapped up in September 2007. Digital Domain worked on the visual effects of the film, particularly in the process of the metamorphosis of Pitt's character. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was released in the United States on December 25, 2008, by Paramount Pictures, with Warner Bros. Pictures releasing in other territories. It received positive reviews, with praise for the performances of the cast. The film was a box office success, grossing $336 million against its $150–167 million budget. The film received a leading 13 Academy Award nominations at the 81st Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director for Fincher, Best Actor for Pitt, and Best Supporting Actress for Taraji P. Henson, and won three, for Best Art Direction, Best Makeup, and Best Visual Effects. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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