Big Fish (2003)

'3BlackChicks Review...'

BIG FISH (2003)   

Rated PG-13; running time 120 minutes Studio: Columbia Pictures (Sony) Genre: Dramedy Seen at: Celebration Cinema (Grand Rapids, Michigan) Official site: http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/bigFISH/site/index.php IMDB site: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0319061/combined Writer: John August (based on the novel by Daniel Wallace) Director: Tim Burton Cast: Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney, Billy Crudup, Jessica Lange, Alison Lohman, Helena Bonham-Carter, Steve Buscemi, Danny DeVito, Matthew McGrory, Robert Guillaume, Ada Tai, Arlene Tai

Review Copyright Rose Cooper, 2004 Review URL: http://www.3blackchicks.com/2004reviews/bamsbigFISH.html

It doesn't happen often, but every once and again, a movie comes down the pike where the film lived up to the promise of its trailers. For me, BIG FISH fit the bill quite nicely.

THE STORY (WARNING: **spoilers contained below**) Edward Bloom (Albert Finney) never was one to tell a straight story, when a more interesting version could be told instead. He lived his life regaling all and sundry with grand remembrances of times past, when as a lad, young Edward (Ewan McGregor) grabbed the world by its tail. Edward saw himself as larger-than-life early on - a BIG FISH in a small pond - and set out from his small town, seeking adventure. In his travels, he came across poets (Steve Buscemi), witches (Helena Bonham Carter), ringmasters (Danny DeVito) and giants (Matthew McGrory); fought bravely (and briefly) in the war; and discovered nirvana, with his life becoming more grand by the minute. But what drove young Edward most, was his affection for Sandra (Alison Lohman); their love defined Edward throughout the years. Through his epic stories, Edward was able to charm all who listened to him.

All, save for his son Will (Billy Crudup), who over the years, grew bitter at being made out a footnote in the elder Edward's stories. Will believes that his father cared less about Will, than about making himself look like a big man. As an adult, Will can not understand why his mother, Sandra (Jessica Lange) tolerates what Will considered to be a character flaw in his father: outright lies about everything that passed in his life. All he wants from his old man is the truth, straight-up, no twists. This is, of course, the last thing Edward is prepared to give his son.

THE UPSHOT I'm a sucker for Tall Tales; and these days, there's not much Taller than BIG FISH. My reaction while watching BIG FISH was akin to the wonder I felt (and still feel) while watching A CHRISTMAS STORY. Both films fed the "good stories" lover in me. Believe me, that's no small accomplishment for FISH; CHRISTMAS is, if not my all-time favorite movie (it changes, from week to week), then certainly it's one of the top three.

This time of year, this term tends to get overused; but truly, BIG FISH is director Tim Burton's masterpiece. The highly stylized FISH has Burton written all over it, from the film's overall look, to the musical score, and especially in the odd innocence of its characters. I'm notoriously bad at seeing the handiwork of a director, getting only a select handful (David Mamet, Lawrence Kasdan, Danny DeVito, and a few others) right most of the time. But a blind man could sit through EDWARD SCISSORHANDS, ED WOOD, and BIG FISH, and know they all stemmed from the same, delightfully slightly-warped mind.

Burton, along with the well-picked cast, weaves a tale so intriguing, that its climax almost seems a letdown. In these times of fantasy-driven vehicles, where the use of CGI too often overshadows the movies themselves, FISH feels like a welcome throwback to simpler days when the story was the thing. The beauty of FISH is that though the tales were indeed tall, they weren't so over-the-top that you couldn't believe in them. I love that in a film.

As the young version of Edward Bloom, Ewan McGregor continues to earn his keep as an actor of considerable range. His Edward was comfortably familiar, though not so much that you would tire of watching him go from one adventure to another. Alison Lohman (young Sandra) by comparison seemed to have little to do, though her presence was important in setting the stage for Jessica Lange's version of Sandra. Lange and Albert Finney (older Edward) had wonderful sweetness about them, making their characters' love story, believable throughout the ages.

Aided by a supporting cast which mostly worked well (though my jury's still out on Helena Bonham Carter's dual role as Jenny and The Witch), BIG FISH spins an intriguing web that is destined to become an oft-played addition to my DVD collection in the future.

BAMMER'S BOTTOM LINE BIG FISH packs a whale of a tale, with masterful execution by director Tim Burton and company. Can't wait to read the book upon which this is based...

    BIG FISH rating:  greenlight

Rose "Bams" Cooper                    
Webchick and Editor,                    
3BlackChicks Review                     
Entertainment Reviews With Flava!                
Copyright Rose Cooper, 2004             
EMAIL: bams@3blackchicks.com                
http://www.3blackchicks.com/

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