Hi, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab...
Holy cow, I want to see this film. This one has the potential to be one of the year’s coolest films. I remember when Spielberg was attached, right after AMERICAN BEAUTY came out, and I reviewed a very early version of the script. Since then, it’s been interesting to watch the film twist and turn its way towards production. Love the Finney/McGregor casting. Love the poster. And now... we’ve got word from someone who has actually laid eyes on the bloody thing...
Moriarty/Drew,
I caught a test screening of Tim Burton's 'Big Fish' on Wednesday night at the AMC 30 in Orange, California. We were told that we were the first audience to see the movie.
I scored the film "excellent". This is the most satisfying film Burton has made with the exception of 'Pee-wee's Big Adventure' and 'Edward Scissorhands'. I didn't walk out of the theater wondering what the hell I just watched, a la 'Mars Attacks' or 'Sleepy Hollow'. The movie actually works from beginning to end. There was laughter during a lot of the film's jokes and a strong family story a lot of people will be able to relate to.
The movie manages to be the most contemporary movie Burton has shot, while at the same time existing in the same type of fantasy Americana as 'Beetlejuice'. Albert Finney runs away with the film as a father who continues to spin tall tales from his death bed, including "the time when I ..." went in search of the town witch, matched wits with a giant, joined the circus, parachuted into Korea and wooed his future wife with thousands of daffodils. These are all primo fantasy sequences. Jessica Lange, playing Finney's wife, is well cast as a young woman as Alison Lohmann and Ewan McGregor is charismatic as the young Finney. Steve Buscemi registered much applause in his appearance.
A few challenges for the filmmakers: This really isn't a film I can see teenagers flocking to. The pacing wasn't slow, but it wasn't a thrill a minute either. You have to pay attention and come into the theater with some imagination to really get the "amazing stories" aspect of the film and I doubt the X-Box Generation are going to sit still for that. I could be wrong, but it's not a movie I can see being nominated for twelve Golden Globes either, though Finney should get plenty of award nods. Columbia might try to market this as 'Forrest Gump', but it's really not that accessible. Instead of trying to sell this as some huge Oscar contender, they should emphasize how offbeat and imaginative it is.
Burton fans or anyone college aged and up should be thrilled. The movie's strengths are its vivid imagination (there's also a werewolf sequence for all the vampire/werewolf Talkbackers out there) and resonant family drama. Everyone has a Finney in their family somewhere, a storyteller whose colorful lies are grandiose but still a vital part of your youth.
Unless my eyes deceived me, there's no Lisa Marie in the film, though Faye Dunaway (as the witch) and Julianne Moore make cameos.
I'll take my fifteen minutes of geek fame to dub myself 'Amazing Larry'.
Well done, man. Anyone else see it last night? If so, you gotta let me know what you thought. PRONTO!!
"Moriarty" out.
