Hey folks, Harry here... Moriarty just got the tail end of a long line of BIG FISH reviews that have been coming in. All of these came in first and it seems that Burton has knocked this sucker out of the park. Personally, how cool would it be to see Tim Burton & Peter Jackson nominated for Best Director? I mean... as a geek, how cool is it that these guys have somehow brainwashed the rest of the world? Hehehe... Can't wait to see this one, as soon as I saw a circus was involved, I knew... right then and there... This was a Burton film that needed seeing immediately!
I just got back from a screening of BIG FISH in Philadelphia and I think this is now my favorite Tim Burton movie.
Producer Bruce Cohen was onhand for a Q&A afterwards and told us it was the final cut of the film and was the first time it was seen in its final form. This was a word-of-mouth screening to get the word out, so here I am with my review and comments.
BIG FISH is a wonderful movie. It opens up with Edward Bloom, at his son Will's wedding, recounting the story of Will's birth. While everyone is on the edge of their seats, Will is not pleased. All his life, he's heard these tall tales and feels like he's never really gotten to know his father. To the adult Will, the tales are lies and feels his dad is just embarassing himself. Years pass and after not talking to his father for a long time returns home, his dad in bad health, to try one more time to get through the stories and find out who the real person is behind them. To make a connection to the real person, not the made-up one.
The rest of the movie alternates between Edward Bloom's tales of his youth and the current time as his health slowly dwindles. Will finds letters and old aquaintances and at the end finds his father's heart and character were in those tales as well as his actions. And it's in him, too.
I heard people talking after the movie about how much they related to it. Most likely, you know or knew someone just like Edward Bloom. Their stories may not have been completely factual, but they sure were more interesting.
While it is not a Tim Burton movie like any before, he has framed it with his imagery. There are touches of it in just the right amounts. The way Sam Raimi did something different with A SIMPLE PLAN, Tim Burton has given us BIG FISH. To me, I felt I was watching Burton mature as a director. Previously, my favorite Burton film was ED WOOD. His last few films have been a little of a let-down for me. Style over substance. BIG FISH is one of his best and also one of the best films this year.
-Cosgrove
Ok, if that doesn't get you drooling in big heaping pools of drool, then I don't know what will, but how about this one...
Yo H-Dawg Harry,
Just got in from the Philly sneak peek of BIG FISH, a sure-fire Oscar contender. I submit to you a pair of reviews from me, Pardora's Lunchbox (your man with the plan) and my main man Roundhouse! Enjoy!
Let me first start off by saying that one of the most uncomfortable feelings on earth is the feeling of having to take a piss during an amazing film. Due to leaving home so late, I didn't have time to take my usual pre-movie piss. Roundhouse and I raced to the theatre, cutting through alleys and paths of cobblestone, all the while my bladder bounces against organs I don't have names for inside of me. We get to the theatre by six, and, by the grace of G-d, our names are on the RSVP list. As soon as we made it into the theatre, we noticed three huge, 32"x40" BIG FISH movie posters. I devised a plan for Roundhouse and I to steal one by stuffing it inside my jacket, but it didn't pan out.
Anyway, after a weak, dick-sucking intro from the Philadelphia Film Office Chairperson, Bruce "Wayne" Coen, the film's producer, ran in and talked briefly about how amazing Tim Burton is. Yeah, tell us what we don't know! What we DIDN'T know was that WE WERE THE FIRST AUDIENCE IN NORTH AMERICA TO SEE THE FINAL RELEASE PRINT! Holy shit! That totally makes up for me still being a virgin at 20!
Onto the film: BIG FISH doesn't stink. In fact, it's the catch of the day -- maybe the entire Oscar season! Like I said, I had to take a monst piss -- it only got worse as I sat down and the reel started up. From the opening shot, I got an erection that didn't go away. I felt like someone poured cement in my dick it was so hard. The cinematography was outstanding. The film opens with an underwater shot of a BIG FISH (get it?) swimming through the water, with voice over narration from Albert Finney's Edward Bloom character, telling one of his tall tales about what happened the day his son, William, was born. As a side note, the advancement of underwater scenes in this film makes one wet with anticipation at what a sweet AQUAMAN film would look like! Anyway, the film cuts away at different points in William's life as his father tells this story again and again -- at a boyscout trip, then finally at his wedding, at which he walks out and tells his dad how he is embarrassing himself with these tall tales, aka LIES. this causes them to not speak for years.
you see, it is impossible to separate fact from fiction in Edward Bloom's life, which William hates -- he wants the REAL story, his REAL father.
The film is told mostly through flashbacks to Edward's life, and all of the fascinating adventures he went on -- like meeting a giant, exceling at every sport, saving dogs from burning buildings when firemen can't, etc, etc. My erection grew to never-before realized size when Edward entered the town of Spector. The set design was amazing, pure Tim Burton. One of the houses is completely run down, and is slanted -- even the doorways, as well as the woman who lives there. Genius!
During his stay at this Pleasantville-like town, Ed encounters a naked woman in a lake, who turns out to be a mirage. A little girl tells him that it was only a fish, and that people see what they want to see when they look at it. Weird.
By this time, I'm squirming in my seat, and my pants are tighter than Helena Bonham Carter's snatch. Anyway, the scene that made me prematurely lose my load came in the circus sequence when edward meets his future wife. Time literally stops as Edward walks through hula-hoops and frozen clowns to get close to her. It was a true geek orgasm of Matrix-like levels. Interestingly, in between wiping up, I noticed that the flashback sequences were shot slightly overexposed to give it a softer look, while the "present" sequences featured a heavy use of shadow and chiaroscuro effect.
By the end of the film, I didn't know what to wipe first, my tears, or my semen. It was a true overflow of emotion. If none of this geeked out review hits you, let me put it this way -- If you can imagine FORREST GUMP having sex with BATMAN RETURNS, with FIELD OF DREAMS masturbating in the corner, you'll have 1/4 the idea of how powerful BIG FISH is.
SEE THIS FILM! Hopefully, on an empty bladder, as well.
Well, I'm outs! Later, sk8ers!
Pandora's Lunchbox
Now after you've cleaned out your mind... here's another love affair with a BIG FISH...
Salutations Harry,
Roundhouse here with some breaking news! About a week ago I received an urgent IM from my pal Pandora's Lunchbox: "GET BACK TO ME ASAP!!!" Seeing this and only this on my computer screen, I didn't know what to think. So, I grabbed the phone and dialed his number. It rang once... twice... three times. Finally, he picks up. After a quick hello, I ask about the IM. "What are you doing Monday night?" he says. I go, "Nothing." And then he hits me with it... "How would you like to go to an advanced screening of BIG FISH in Philly?" Well, I nearly lost it in my pants!!! "Hells yeah!!!" I said, and it was set.
Fast forward to Monday night. I meet up with Pandora's Lunchbox around five thirty in the PM. We snagged a quick dinner, some homemade noodles and sauce, and were on our way. Since seating wasn't guaranteed, we made sure to get there plenty early, six o'clock to be exact. There were copies of that spectacular BIG FISH poster everywhere. I was hoping they'd give 'em away to a few lucky audience members WINK WINK, but much to my dismay, they did not. We checked ourselves in and took our seats. There was still about thirty minutes until it started. The LONGEST thirty minutes of my life!!!
It was horrible. I thought I was gonna crap my pants I was so anxious... LOL. Anyway, seven o'clock finally rolls around. We got a quick intro from one of the producers, Bruce the Brucemaster Cohen... nothing special. The lights dimmed. The screen lit up with that beautiful Columbia Pictures logo. The movie starts...
Anybody who has caught the trailer online knows the story. Billy Crudup is William Bloom, the son of Edward Bloom, played brilliantly by Albert Finney and Ewan McGregor. William's father, as well loved as he is, has one major flaw... the true events of his past are hidden deep within a sea of his own lies.
****SPOILER ALERT****
Edward and William haven't spoken in years. Edward is dying. Will flies home to make one last attempt at reconciling with Edward, with hopes of discovering the truth behind the tall tales. The majority of the film is told in flashbacks. From the get go, we are treated to dozens of truly Burtonesque moments. Edward's entrance into the town of Spector/Spectre comes to mind. The crooked house was just as memorable. And, don't even get me started on the circus scenes. Wait until you see the jobs Edward takes in exchange for information about the woman he's in love with. My plumbing nearly sprung a leak!!! Oh, and the ending!!! I can't remember the last time I cried so hard in public.
I don't want to give too much away, so I'll stop here. But, this film is AMAZING!!! Unlike anything I've seen in the past few years. We were assured that this was indeed the completed version of the film, so what we saw is what you others will be seeing come December.
Burton is truly one of the most brilliant directors of our time, and having John August as the screenwriter was an added bonus. This film has everything: comedy, drama, mystery... It was almost too much, the equivalent of, like, thirty-seven orgasms. Ewan, Albert, and Billy were, as always, amazing. The supporting cast deserves a round of applause as well.
Danny DeVito, Steve Buscemi, Jessica Lange, Helena Bonham Carter... ooh Helena... meeeoooow!!! They're all working their A-game, and why wouldn't they? I'd give both my nuts and my right butt cheek to work with the Timster. I definitely smell Oscar on this one, if not best film then definitely one of the other categories... maybe best actor? We shall see.
Hope this tasty bit of info helps you out!!! This is Roundhouse saying, "keep the dog in the yard!!!" Take her easy, Harry!!!
Ok, so those two obviously were huffing on some sort of happy fumes, let's see what more normal folks had to say...
Hi Harry,
I was invited by a friend to go see an early screening of Tim Burton’s “Big Fish.” After the movie, the producer, Richard Zanuck did a Q & A, but my friend was my ride home, and I couldn’t stay. The screening was in Washington,DC, in Georgetown.
For those of you who lost faith with Tim Burton after “Planet of the Apes,” fear not. He’s back, and it’s beautiful.
“Big Fish” was adapted from a novel by Daniel Wallace. It’s about a man, William Bloom (Billy Crudup) who learns that his father (Albert Finney) is dying, and goes to see him one last time. But the two had a falling out some years before. Finney’s character, Edward Bloom, has a penchant for telling stories, whoppers of stories, and William outgrew them years before. He no longer knows what is true and what isn’t, and therefore doesn’t know who his father is. As Edward tells his best stories one last time, William attempts to figure out what’s true, what isn’t, and which matters most.
Okay, enough with the synopsis. The acting was superb from an all around great cast (Crudup, Finney, Ewan McGregor as young William Bloom, Jessica Lange, Steve Buscemi, Danny Devito, and the list goes on). Matthew McGrory (“Bigfoot” to all you Howard Stern fans out there) plays Karl the giant. It’s so awkward to see the poor man move, he can barely stand. But apart from his acting ability, I have no complaints about the casting.
Well, maybe one other. Jessica Lange plays Albert Finney’s wife. Now don’t get me wrong, they both turn in some solid performances. But she looks a little too young to play his wife. Maybe that’s just me. What can I say? She’s perpetually gorgeous. (Someday she will be mine. Oh yes! She will be mine.)
The ending is predictable, even inevitable, but it doesn’t matter. This is one of those films where you really want to see it end the way it’s supposed to.
Tim Burton leaves his definitive touch on most of the set design, and even the quirkiness of the story, but I haven’t seen anything as touching as this in his body of work since “Edward Scissorhands” (or maybe “A Nightmare Before Christmas” if you want to split hairs, but he didn’t direct!).
Anyway, it was a fantastic film, and probably chalks up to one of my top three Tim Burton films, next to Edward Scissorhands and Ed Wood. Go see this movie. It’s innocent enough for the kids, a date, anyone. Now go click on “BACK” so you can check out what’s going on with McG and Superman!
Call me Mr. Uptown.
finally there's this last tidbit of a review...
I just saw the advanced screening of Tim Burton's new film Big Fish. Gary Cogil was there along with the Producer of the film, who also produced American Beauty, for a Q & A. I'm not sure if you are interested in Burton's new film, but jsut as well, you should be. The film is amazing/awesome/touching/beautiful/_______(insert positive adjective here).... I just thought I'd let you know that it really is a great film, and Burton pulls off a touching story while staying true to that Burtonesque style everyone has come to love. Perhaps you've seen the movie, but I just wanted to let you in on the fact that it is rock awesome.
By the way, no one i have talked to likes Matrix Revolutions, but I'm on the same page as you....what a great movie. Hmm and i you have the time could you fill me in on the little girls purpose in the movies, it was the only hting i didnt understand. Well not so much her purpose, but didnt understand the whole sun rise thing and how she was in control of it and made it for Neo. Of course even though your a genius, you may not have the answer to that one. Answer or no answer, take it easy man.... 1 month and 6 days until ROTK graces a theater near you. adios.
Justin
