Benjamin's life starts off rough. He was born the day WWI ended and to a wealthy family at that. But he is quickly dropped off onto the doorstep of a nursing home because his mother died during childbirth and the father couldn't see raising a kid that looked 80 years old. A couple who worked at the home, Queenie (Taraji P. Henson) and Tizzy (Mahershalalhashblaz Ali from The 4400), took him in and raised them as their son (well, Queenie did more than Tizzy). As he grew older, his appearance slowly started to grow younger. Since he grew up/down in an old folks home, Benjamin didn't really get to deal with a lot of people his own age (just those as old as he appeared). Because of this, when one of the tenant's grandchildren shows up, Daisy (who is eventually played by Blanchett), and Benjamin falls in love with her almost immediately. The movie is more about their relationship than Benjamin's odd affliction.
The story of Benjamin's life is actually being told by Daisy's daughter in 2005. Actually, Daisy and her daughter, Caroline (Julia Ormond), are in a New Orleans hospital (most of the movie takes place in Southern Louisiana) during the onslaught of Hurricane Katrina, which is a rather interesting setting. As Daisy lies on her death bed, she asks Caroline to read Benjamin's diary that he wrote to her about his life and experiences. It is through that reading that we see Benjamin's life through most of the 20th Century.
Eventually, Benjamin leaves the house and goes off on his own, trying to find his own way in the world. He is 17, but looks more like 60 and he gets a job on a tugboat. For many years, he writes Daisy about the different places he goes, but eventually their relationship grows apart. When he does finally return, he finds that she has moved to New York to become a dancer and has gained some success in that right. While Benjamin still loves her, she has moved on and grown cold to him. The movie has a When Harry Met Sally feel to it such that we skip through time getting glimpses of their lives as they keep crossing paths until the inevitable time when they can both be truly together. But how does Daisy handle being with a man who keeps looking younger, and can Benjamin handle hurting Daisy in that way? While you might be able to guess the ending and the eventual destination of this movie, it is very much a story of the journey, and the life of Benjamin Button.
As part of The Criterion Collection, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button has more special features than movie (which is impressive since the film is about three hours long). The second disc is filled with just about everything you might want to know about the movie. The disc is divided into sections called "The Curious Birth of Benjamin Buttons" that goes through each of the movie's trimesters until its birth and premiere. Through these lengthy featurettes, you will learn everything from how the movie was first developed and modernized out of the F. Scott Fitzgerald short story, to why and how the film came to be set in New Orleans. Of course, the specials will also talk extensively about the subtle CG that went into the film, especially the process they used to make both Pitt and Blanchett look older and younger as needed.
Not only is The Curious Case of Benjamin Button a great movie that is at least a must-see (and arguably a must-buy), but you can't go wrong with this DVD release based on the sheer amount of extras it it has with it. The only thing I would say that should keep you from getting this version of the movie is that if you have a Blu-ray player and want to experience the movie's outstanding visuals and style in high definition, go with that version.
