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Big Fish
I recently watched Francis Ford Coppola's The Conversation, in which Gene Hackman tries desperately to decipher the meaning of a conversation he taped. Hackman finds out by the end that the importance lies not in what is said, but how it is said. Oddly enough, that is essentially the same theme which drives Big Fish.
Big Fish is the tale Edward Bloom's extraordinary life, or, more specifically, the tale of Edward Bloom's tale of his extraordinary life. As the movie opens, we see Bloom (played in his youth by Ewan McGregor and in his twilight by Albert Finney), telling the same story of how he caught an enormous catfish to his son, William Bloom (Billy Crudup) at different stages of his life. By the time of Bloom tells the tale at his son's wedding, the son makes it known he is fed up with his father's tendency to make up stories. The rest of the movie is basically the William trying to establish what actually happened during his father's life. This reconciliation takes the form of Bloom telling the fairy tale that is his life to his son. (I don’t wish to give out much more of the plot, for fear of taking the element of surprise out of this movie)
This movie lives on the knife's edge between tragedy and comedy, between reality and fantasy. The scenes between father and son are deeply moving, sometimes heartbreaking, other times strangely uplifting. Bloom's tales are so wonderfully outlandish that they could've only been cooked up in Tim Burton's mind. Here you can find humorously warped depictions of giants and witches, as well as things more traditional like small town life and true love.
This movie works on so many different levels. It is an engaging drama, a beautifully crafted (and often darkly funny) fairy tale, it is a heart-warming romance, a satire (on stories and stereotypes amongst other things).... in short, you can go to this film expecting almost anything and leave very happy. Burton gives some of the most inspired direction in his career, this movie is stunning to behold. I might go so far as to say magical. All of the actors give top-notch performances, especially McGregor and Finney. Every scene that is centered on Bloom is one for the history books, and I cannot give enough credit to the men who brought this wonderful character so perfectly to the big screen. Big Fish is, without a doubt, one of the best films to come out this year.
The Bottom Line: You need to see this sentimentally disturbed, beautifully crafted movie.
I recently watched Francis Ford Coppola's The Conversation, in which Gene Hackman tries desperately to decipher the meaning of a conversation he taped. Hackman finds out by the end that the importance lies not in what is said, but how it is said. Oddly enough, that is essentially the same theme which drives Big Fish.
Big Fish is the tale Edward Bloom's extraordinary life, or, more specifically, the tale of Edward Bloom's tale of his extraordinary life. As the movie opens, we see Bloom (played in his youth by Ewan McGregor and in his twilight by Albert Finney), telling the same story of how he caught an enormous catfish to his son, William Bloom (Billy Crudup) at different stages of his life. By the time of Bloom tells the tale at his son's wedding, the son makes it known he is fed up with his father's tendency to make up stories. The rest of the movie is basically the William trying to establish what actually happened during his father's life. This reconciliation takes the form of Bloom telling the fairy tale that is his life to his son. (I don’t wish to give out much more of the plot, for fear of taking the element of surprise out of this movie)
This movie lives on the knife's edge between tragedy and comedy, between reality and fantasy. The scenes between father and son are deeply moving, sometimes heartbreaking, other times strangely uplifting. Bloom's tales are so wonderfully outlandish that they could've only been cooked up in Tim Burton's mind. Here you can find humorously warped depictions of giants and witches, as well as things more traditional like small town life and true love.
This movie works on so many different levels. It is an engaging drama, a beautifully crafted (and often darkly funny) fairy tale, it is a heart-warming romance, a satire (on stories and stereotypes amongst other things).... in short, you can go to this film expecting almost anything and leave very happy. Burton gives some of the most inspired direction in his career, this movie is stunning to behold. I might go so far as to say magical. All of the actors give top-notch performances, especially McGregor and Finney. Every scene that is centered on Bloom is one for the history books, and I cannot give enough credit to the men who brought this wonderful character so perfectly to the big screen. Big Fish is, without a doubt, one of the best films to come out this year.
The Bottom Line: You need to see this sentimentally disturbed, beautifully crafted movie.
__________________
"I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it anymore!" - Howard Beale
"I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it anymore!" - Howard Beale
... I haven’t seen this yet, but definitely want to…
...I'm odd. 
)
