Beale Reviews Big Fish

Finally got to see this at a preview last night. doesnt actually come out over here till next Friday. Id have to say at first i was dissapointed. The film was not what i was expecting and in that way i was dissapointed. But mostly in every other way i loved it. But like Slayton said, i just didnt feel it was fantastical enough. i suspect that in order to make the whole film fantastical, it would take the magic from the stories that Edward Bloom tells, therefore the reality must be normal in order for Blooms stories to seem magical....ANYWAY i did endup loving it. It is definatly a grower for me. Its a film that when im sitting whatching it im thnking "i dont know if i like this....." but when im out and reflect back on the film i start to enjoy it more. I did want to fins it more emotional, but it was only the end that i found emotional. What else did everyone else find emotional? the last and final story is definatly a tear jerker and ends the film brilliantly. Billy Crudup was excellant as Edwards son and Albert Finney was very convincing and moving as the excentric Edward. Lang who i normally dont enjoy watching was also very good as Edwards wife. Over all i came out of the film satisfied...but it left me wanting a little more. Lets hope as i see it more and more i'll find that i don;t need anything else and its all right there. I give it 4 out of 5 fish

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Pumpkins scream in the DEAD of night!

That is exactly the way I would put it. Though.....So you're a guy. That doesn't mean a thing. What, you think guys can't cry in sad movies? I burst out in tears and cried ( out loud nonetheless ) . Hey, what can I say.

Great review Beale!!

You're actually a chick?

I tear up often, but hardly ever cry

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"Today, war is too important to be left to politicians. They have neither the time, the training, nor the inclination for strategic thought. I can no longer sit back and allow Communist infiltration, Communist indoctrination, Communist subversion and the international Communist conspiracy to sap and impurify all of our precious bodily fluids."

I get very emotional. Lots of things make me tear up and eventually me cry...especially Big Fish due to the fact of the direct lik of father/son.

I was only teasing you. I don't think it's bad for a guy to cry during a movie, I know I have from time to time. But I'll tear up and get over it before I actually cry. Having a couple/three drinks while watching a flick makes it a bit harder. The ending to Blow made me bawl like a baby. The daydream of the reunion tore me up.

Big Fish has only just come out in the UK and blibblobblib pretty much sums it up for me. I went in the cinema expecting a big Tim Burton visual feast with not much regard for story line or character, however I got a touching drama and something with a message. It was a bit daunting, and all through the movie I couldn't help but think "I should be liking this" too... I suppose I need to watch it again without the hype and expectation.

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"Someday we will be able to...", "because it has already begun"

Sic Networks

I saw it last night and loved it. I think my girlfriend and I were the only ones who did as everyone I heard leaving the cinema seemed to be criticizing and making fun of it.

I loved how the "story" world was so distinctive compared to the "real" world by lighting and amazing circumstances.

It was definatly a magical experience.

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instrumental rock band that I am in.

the mythopoetic nature of the father's stories is perfectly suited to burton's wild imagination, but whereas in earlier films the father / son diffulties are always dark, here they come with a heavy dose of sugar and sweet things. the end of the film is sweet and tugs at the heart strings, but there's something false about it, the emotion-tugging feeling a bit lame and unearned, more like spielberg than burton. maybe his own impending fatherhood is making him want to lighten up or maybe he's just finally over his own estranged father, who died without the two getting to come together as here.

the story of the father and son may be the emotional heart of the story, but really it is in the telling of the tales where the film is best. on their own though, those stories don't amount to much. occasionally visually gorgeous (ewan mc gregor in a field of daffodils, or the scene where he first sees his future wife) and frequently very funny (particularly mc gregor's daring comando raid on the red-chinese) the tales do make the film worth seeing.

ultimately, for a film about the power of story telling, it's the very lack of power in the telling of the story that is big fish's biggest weakness. all heart and no soul, it's picaresque, quirky and whimsical. but it just isn't dark enough to be a true tim burton film. and the split between the two stories, unevenly paced as they are, just doesn't make it as engaging a piece of cinema as you would wish for from burton.

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