After the darkness and savagery of Fight Club and Se7en, director David Fincher's third collaboration with Brad Pitt represents a major shift in style and tone. Adapted from F Scott Fitzgerald's short story, the action begins in the 21st century and then flashes back to 1918 when baby Benjamin (Pitt) is born with the physiology of a geriatric. As the years pass he proceeds to "grow" younger, but the teenage Benjamin still resembles an elderly man when he first meets Daisy, the girl who will become the love of his life (in the form of Cate Blanchett). It's their attempts to consummate those romantic feelings that form the backbone of the film, although time, inevitably, works against them. Make-up and state-of-the-art CGI special effects show Pitt's journey from old age to youth, but what's remarkable here is that the computer wizardry doesn't overshadow the heartfelt story. Scripted by Forrest Gump writer Eric Roth, the film shares some similar themes - loss, love and the unstoppable march of time - but feels unique. Best of all, the central relationship between Benjamin and Daisy offers a touching, yet never cloying, emotional warmth to this truly curious case.