Between them, Fincher, star Brad Pitt, all the actors who play Benjamin at various ages, and some triumphant makeup and digital effects teams stitch together a character who is completely believable from first to last -- or last to first, if you prefer.

CNN: Review: 'Benjamin Button' amazes, moves

As Benjamin becomes younger, he turns into the handsome, fortyish Brad Pitt, and he has an affair with a vibrant, normally aging dancer (Cate Blanchett).

NEWYORKER: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

So the film places Brad Pitt's computer-aged face on the bodies of other actors who play Benjamin as a child.

NPR: In 'Benjamin Button,' A Curiously Chilly Passion