Big Fish (2003)

BIG FISH
*** 1/2  (out of ****)
a film review by
Richard A. Zwelling

"...But it's only a story." How many times have we heard that phrase, in one form or another? As much as we might love a good story, we have to remind ourselves that we cannot lose track of reality. It's important to distinguish fact from fiction. Stories, in the end, are fabrications, and do not have any bearing on our true reality. They are merely, as the name of one town in this film indicates, specters. Or are they? Or more importantly, is a story's verity or falsity even the most vital issue?

Director Tim Burton's latest feature, Big Fish, is a film that might not be great, as far as objective film criteria, but it is a spellbinding, entrancing work that got to my heart in a way that few films ever have. This is, by far, one of the best films I have ever seen ABOUT storytelling. It explores what stories are, what they mean to people, and why they are so important, despite the fact that some may be fabricated or exaggerated. Put this aside The Princess Bride as a movie that beautifully highlights the power of stories and simultaneously becomes a captivating story in and of itself.

It is also a fantastic father-son film, and the relationship that is most at the heart of Big Fish is that between Edward Bloom (played in youth by Ewan McGregor and in senority by Albert Finney) and his son, Will (Billy Crudup). Edward has always been a master storyteller. He goes on and on in a seemingly endless palaver about his extraordinary life and all its wacky mishaps. At least this is how Will perceives it. He knows that his father is making up stuff and/or blowing things way out of proportion, and it bothers him that in the waning years of his father's life, Edward has not shown what Will believes is his true self.

Just like Will, we in the audience experience Edward's captivating tales, and just like Will, we plumb their depths for nuggets of truth, in an effort to separate fact from fiction. This is the film's (fish) hook, and once it sinks itself in, it carries you on a journey that is unexpected, enchanting, outrageous, and genuinely moving.

I am trying very hard not to reveal too much, but I will say that Edward's encounter with a witch (early in the film) plants a question in the audience's mind that we know must be answered by film's end. When this is finally resolved (along with a number of other things), the result is remarkable. The final ten minutes alone will be worth the price of admission for ticket buyers, and I have rarely seen a collection of images that have stirred my emotions so much.

In terms of performances, the two most essential are Finney's and McGregor's. While McGregor's performance is wonderful to watch, it is Finney's that I must highlight here. During every moment that Finney is on screen, I felt the power of Edward's passion for stories and relating them to listeners. Through an amazing combination of dialogue delivery and facial expressions, he bespeaks the rich inner life of Edward Bloom and immerses us in his web of tales. But this is not to downplay McGregor's work. His task is to create an instantly likeable character that we will root for and continually identify with, and in those areas, he is relentlessly successful.

There are also roles played by Jessica Lange, Alison Lohman, Steve Buscemi, Helena Bonham Carter, and Danny Devito, but their screen time pales in comparison to that of McGregor and Finney.

This is one of the most pleasant surprises to come out of the body of 2003 films. I never expected this movie to reach me so deeply on a personal level, but it has, and I imagine that many who treasure the magic of storytelling will feel the same way. This Big Fish is a great catch!

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X-RAMR-ID: 36690
X-Language: en
X-RT-ReviewID: 1234902
X-RT-TitleID: 1127787
X-RT-AuthorID: 7583
X-RT-RatingText: 3.5/4