The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)

This is Forrest Gump with the clock running backwards and the volume turned down to a whisper. Benjamin doesn’t really do things. Things happen near him: a tugboat, a war, a hotel romance, a ballet, while he watches with the calm face of a man who’s been told he has 166 minutes to fill. Brad Pitt is fine, but the character is so passive he’s basically furniture with great lighting. The stuff around him is gorgeous, though. Taraji P. Henson’s Queenie is the warmest person in any Fincher movie, the effects that age and un-age everyone still look eerie in the best way, and Tilda Swinton turns a few late-night talks in a frozen hotel into the best stretch of the film. It made $335.8 million worldwide on a reported $150 to $167 million, which is a lot of money for one long sigh. 6.6 because it’s beautiful and sad and weirdly hard to feel. $58.09 says you start a diary tonight and quit before the second page.

What works: Taraji P. Henson’s Queenie, Tilda Swinton’s late-night hotel scenes and effects that make aging in both directions look eerie and beautiful.

What doesn’t: Benjamin is so passive that 166 minutes of things happening to him starts to feel like a slideshow instead of a life.

Who it’s for: People who like a long, slow cry with gorgeous lighting, and anyone who’s ever wondered what they’d do with their life in reverse.