Big Fish (B+ or 3/4 stars)
'Big Fish' (directed by Tim Burton) focuses around the life adventures of one, Edward Bloom (played by Ewan McGregor as a young adult & Albert Finney as an elderly man dying of cancer). What we come to realize early on in the film is that his son, Will Bloom (Billy Crudup), is fed up with hearing his father re-tell his life stories to almost every living being that crosses his path. As a child, Will heard these stories and thought his father to be some sort of superhero that you would read about in a book. But as an adult, the supposed 'Tall' tales get tired pretty quickly. Now that Edward's dying, Will wants to find out from his dad if he has ever told the complete truth about any of the stories he tells (including the story of when Will was born).
The authenticity of these tales have been in question all these years because the stories range from Edward catching a fish the size of a shark, to him finding a hidden Heaven in the forest (a whimsical town named Spectre); from meeting his future wife (Alison Lohman as a youth & Jessica Lange as an adult) at a circus (run by Danny DeVito), to befriending a giant that eats people; and even seeing his death in the right eyeball of a recluse witch in the woods. The list goes ever on.
Story wise, the various vignettes did not wow me as they may have to others. In fact, it took me a while to get into the movie. I suppose the stories just didn't intrigue me as much as I thought they would. Visually, the people & places that Edward encounters are great. The visuals are what kept me interested. They're up to the usual amazing quality that we have become accustomed to in Burton films (Edward Scissorhands, Sleepy Hollow, Ed Wood). On the acting front, everyone impresses. Ewan McGregor creates a charismatic Edward which makes sense in the older facade, played brilliantly by Albert Finney. Jessica Lange, Alison Lohman, & Marion Cotillard aren't stand-out, but they do their job in creating a potent emotional conclusion -- very potent. I also enjoyed Helena Bonham Carter in dual roles (the witch, a girl whose early carefree life amounted to very little).
I actually really enjoyed 'Big Fish' by the end (the last 1/2 hour finally reeled me in). {Cue the tissues} But to me, some of Edward's stor(ies) are just a tad too hokey & self-important; too showy. Burton's other films did not have to show-off in order for me to be interested. They had more of a defined story to them. This film often bounces btwn. brilliance & absurdity for me. But enough of my nitpicking. I really dug some of the movie's themes of acceptance (btwn. father & son) & tolerance. And one lasting theme that I love in the film is that we all create our own legacies by telling stories ... even if that means embellishing them a little. This is what Edward Bloom does & I really enjoy that an audience can relish in that as they leave the theater.
The authenticity of these tales have been in question all these years because the stories range from Edward catching a fish the size of a shark, to him finding a hidden Heaven in the forest (a whimsical town named Spectre); from meeting his future wife (Alison Lohman as a youth & Jessica Lange as an adult) at a circus (run by Danny DeVito), to befriending a giant that eats people; and even seeing his death in the right eyeball of a recluse witch in the woods. The list goes ever on.
Story wise, the various vignettes did not wow me as they may have to others. In fact, it took me a while to get into the movie. I suppose the stories just didn't intrigue me as much as I thought they would. Visually, the people & places that Edward encounters are great. The visuals are what kept me interested. They're up to the usual amazing quality that we have become accustomed to in Burton films (Edward Scissorhands, Sleepy Hollow, Ed Wood). On the acting front, everyone impresses. Ewan McGregor creates a charismatic Edward which makes sense in the older facade, played brilliantly by Albert Finney. Jessica Lange, Alison Lohman, & Marion Cotillard aren't stand-out, but they do their job in creating a potent emotional conclusion -- very potent. I also enjoyed Helena Bonham Carter in dual roles (the witch, a girl whose early carefree life amounted to very little).
I actually really enjoyed 'Big Fish' by the end (the last 1/2 hour finally reeled me in). {Cue the tissues} But to me, some of Edward's stor(ies) are just a tad too hokey & self-important; too showy. Burton's other films did not have to show-off in order for me to be interested. They had more of a defined story to them. This film often bounces btwn. brilliance & absurdity for me. But enough of my nitpicking. I really dug some of the movie's themes of acceptance (btwn. father & son) & tolerance. And one lasting theme that I love in the film is that we all create our own legacies by telling stories ... even if that means embellishing them a little. This is what Edward Bloom does & I really enjoy that an audience can relish in that as they leave the theater.