By: debbie lynn elias
There are several things of which I am sure when it comes to a Tim Burton movie. It will be imaginative, unique, technically impressive, fantastical, you should always expect the unexpected and one viewing is never enough (there’s always something that you miss that requires a second showing). “Big Fish” is no exception to the rule. Being a big Tim Burton fan, I am ashamed to admit that it took me as long as it did to see this latest masterpiece, but after a rave review from one of my favorite attorneys, I knew this was just the film to see over the long holiday weekend. Needless to say, I was not disappointed.
William Bloom has a jealousy problem – with his father Ed – and as a result has been estranged from him for quite a few years. Seems William has always been a bit overlooked and overshadowed by his popular pop who has the gift of blarney and the telling of some rather tall tales – over and over and over again. It fascinated him as a child, but closed him off as an adult. Sadly, Ed now lays dying and William’s mother calls on him to make peace with the “Big Fish.” With Will, now a truth seeking reporter going after the facts and only the facts, and his very pregnant wife standing vigil, Ed has one final opportunity to regale his son, daughter-in-law and unborn grandchild with the wildy wonderful and fanciful tales of his life while Will hopes that Ed will finally just tell him the “truth” rather than colorful stories.
It all started when Ed was a small child. He and some friends visited a one-eyed witch whose glass eye could foretell one’s death on looking into it. We never get to see Ed’s vision, but from the look on his face, we know it was something extraordinary. And so the legends begin. He does battle with a cave-dwelling monster who eats cattle who’s actually just a gentle giant who’s hungry. Not content with living in the quiet little town of Ashton, North Carolina, Ed longs to be a big fish in a big pond, so he hits the road with his newfound friend (yes, Ed made friends with the “monster”)and along the way meets up with some rather incredible adventures. How about being chased by bees and giant spiders that jump? (Word to the wise – hair spray gets those bees every time. Too bad Ed didn’t have his Aqua Net!) In the town of Spectre where everyone goes barefoot and shoes adorn the overhead power lines (the place is a walking advertisement for Scott lawn products and Miracle Grow), he meets up with a poet turned bank robber turned Wall Street entrepreneur. Why Ed even joins the circus as a way to meet the woman he intends to marry! Along the way he even tells of a “big fish” story about an encounter with catfish as big as a shark. As time marches on, so does Ed with a stint in the Korean War that which ends with a daring escape thanks to help of singing conjoined Korean twins Ping and Jing followed by a rather common job as a travelling salesman. Can it all possibly be true?
Albert Finney is extraordinary as the older Ed. With the gift of being able to play an unrepentant ham, Finney delivers as only Finney can, some over the top oratories with enough tireless aplomb to make one’s eyes roll. Ewan McGregor as the younger Ed has that boundless enthusiasm and wide-eyed shiny penney glow that blossoms with every adventure. McGregor also has a knack at allowing his character to just “fall into” each quirky tale, letting each adventure and its inherent characters be the center of attention as opposed to Ed.
Supporting characters abound featuring Danny DeVito as the circus owner, Helena Bonham Carter doing triple duty as the one-eyed witch and both the younger and older Jenny Bloom. Jessica Lange is a delight as older Ed’s wife, Sandra. With quiet restraint, you can see the love and admiration she has for her husband, whether his tales are true or not. Lange has a gift for the genteel that speaks volumes here. Casting coup of the year could be Alison Lohman as the younger Sandra. Spitting image of a young Jessica Lange! And of course, Steve Buscemi, already having his own quirky look that just screams, “Put me in a Tim Burton film!” fits in perfectly as poet Norther Winslow.
Adapted by screenwriter John August from the Daniel Wallace novel, it appears that Burton has found a writer that matches his own sense of imaginativeness. Written as individual “fairy tales” of young Edward’s adventures, August has tailored the stories into nice little vignettes that hopscotch through the film as Edward tells his tales, giving Burton wide latitude for his visual energy to take hold.
Capitalizing on Burton’s imaginative sense is production designer Dennis Gassner who works his own magic with the town of Spectre but who could have done a bit more with the circus scenarios. Expecting a full-blown Tim Burtonesque fantastical sequence, I was a bit let down with the more sedate work in this area. Adding a lustrous polish is cinematographer Philippe Rousselot who last worked with Burton on “Planet of the Apes.” And as usual, Colleen Atwood makes and impressive mark on the costuming.
Visually stimulating. Burtonesque to the core (albeit a bit tempered given some of Burton’s prior works). This is a film with heart. From beginning to end. A heartwarming tale about love and family, a father and a son, and that sometimes it’s very hard to separate fact from fiction….but then sometimes, it doesn’t really matter; does it.
Young Edward: Ewan McGregor Old Edward: Albert Finney Will Bloom: Billy Crudup Sandra Bloom: Jessica Lange Young Sandra: Alison Lohman Jenny/Witch: Helena Bonham Carter Norther Winslow: Steve Buscemi Amos: Danny DeVito
Directed by Tim Burton. Written by John August. Based on the novel by Daniel Wallace. Columbia Pictures release. Rated PG-13. (125 min.)
