Hi, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab...
Seriously. Check this out. One after another. People falling all over themselves to praise the picture, which just opened today in NY and LA, and which goes wide on Christmas Day...
I really wish I could come up with a long thought out, detailed review of Tim Burton’s “Big Fish”, but I just can’t. I have tried all day to come up with words, phrases, and anything else to describe how perfectly beautiful this movie is. I wanted to say how it moved me to tears and made me wish it would not end. I wanted to rave and praise it.
I just can’t put my feelings into words for how great “Big Fish” is.
All I am saying Harry, is I would really appreciate it if you could give “Big Fish” a good review when you see it. I know that sounds terrible asking you to mess with your emotions while watching a movie, but you are the best person I know of who can put into words the things you can’t say. This movie if wonderful in every respect and only deep down inside me do I know why, but no one else can understand that. You could help me with that.
I would like to tell people more about how great it is with out just dumping it down to simple phrases. I just really hope you like it. It’s the best movie I have seen this year and I would like to say OUT LOUD why I love it so much. The feelings inside though, are just for me.
-Tress
Some people seem to be so taken with the picture that they barely know what to say.
Hey Harry. I hadnt seen too many Big Fish reviews, so I thought I would pass my thoughts along. First let me say that this is the movie I've been waiting to see, of course besides ROTK. Burton obviously has a very unique style, and he is by far my favorite director. I would argue that Pee-Wee's Big Adventure is the funniest movie ever made, and that no movie has made me feel as lonely as Edward Scissorhands.
Now on to the review. The basic premise incase you don't know, Edward Bloom (Albert Finney) is sick, and his son, Billy Crudup, who hasnt talken to his father in three years, comes back home to get the truth of his father's life. Edward has always told his life stories to sound like tall tales, and his son wants to seperate the fact from fiction. As Edward tells his story to different people, we get to see how it all went down. Along the way he meets a giant, siamese twins, works at a circus, and is called into the army. So that is basically the story.
The finale is very emotional, and wraps it all up to make you leave the theater with good spirits and a little more appreciation for life, and that to me is how a good movie should make you feel. Finney is great as usual and got me to cry at the end of the movie. Again Ewan McGregor delivers. Can you think of a better actor out there today? He won't win the oscar for this, but at least give him the nomination, since he was cheated out of even that for Moulin Rouge. Billy Crudup does his material, but it is nothing to write home about. Jessica Lange and Alison Lohman who play the older and younger versions of Edwards wife, both give solid performances. I would have liked to seen a little more of Lohman though, as I think she is terrific in all aspects. To wrap it up, I'll tell you that I was looking at a list of movies that have come out this year, and this easily puts it up there towards the top. For me, it's been a year where no movies have really stirred up my emotions, until this one. It's not for everyone due to Burton's style, but it is the first piece of cinema I've seen in a while.
If you use this, just put me down as Large Marge. Thanks.
Another quickie...
Hi Harry, I'm a long time reader and first time submitter to your site. I had the privilege of seeing Tim Burton's new flick Big Fish last night in a preview screening here in Minneapolis. This movie if very good and makes up big time for that crap Burton made with Marky Marky and the apes. Best way to describe this movie is a very grand, yet simple movie. Yep. I'm trying to confuse you. I would've liked to compare this to a what a Dr. Seuss movie SHOULD be (but we all know they are just giant commercial craps) or perhaps more appropriately a Rolad Dahl movie that was done properly (y'know BFG, Witches, James and the Giant Peach etc). This movie is very touching (I almost cried-almost). All the performances are fantastic and Burton truly deserves an academy award nod for this. While the story is grandiose the most touching parts are the quote reality scenes or scenes with Ed Bloom's family. His relationship with his wife, son and daughter in law are great. If you need spoilers or more proof I'm not a "plant" or whatever let me know. Otherwise if you use this call me.....
Deuce la Loose
Not everyone’s crazy about it, though. One of our regular reviewers, Fabfunk, had this to say:
For the case of BIG FISH, this is not EDWARD SCISSORHANDS territory. It’s probably something more along the lines of PEE-WEE’S BIG ADVENTURE, which is a pity, because it could have been so much more. Based on a best seller of some sort (reading is scholarly, and I am not much of a scholar), it tells the tale of a reporter (Billy Crudup) who finds out his father, Edward (Albert Finney), is dying. He heads home and stands by his side, but his real intention, being that he hasn’t spoken to his father in years, is to find out the truth about Edward’s stories, the yarns he’s spent his entire life spinning.
About 70% of this film is told in flashbacks, with Ewan McGregor standing in as a young Edward Bloom, getting into many an adventure. Burton’s eye for dreamy, cartoonish visuals comes alive in these scenes, and McGregor is a likeable, entirely gleeful protagonist, fighting in WWII, getting the girl of his dreams (Alison Lohman, who looks remarkably like a young Jessica Lange, whom she’s essentially playing), working in the circus, saving lives and generally being a larger than life hero.
It’s a pity that the other 30% is so leaden and generally ineffective. Billy Crudup is the male Cate Blanchett: he’s been in search of a lead Hollywood role that can really showcase his strengths, and with BIG FISH, that search continues. His character is never really given any motivation to learn about his father, and it comes off as, “Well, he’s dying, time to stop lying.” We never get a hint of his regular life, his job, his journalistic instincts (He’s seen in an office early on, but no mention of his profession is made beyond that), or his love for his family at all, including his lovely prop wife (a French actress whom is quite attractive, never seen her before).
I say prop wife because all the women in the script are merely used as glorified props. Jessica Lange has one wonderful scene with Finney, but it’s clearly Finney’s scene, and she really has nothing else to do beyond that aside from be a good wife and mother who walks out whenever a scene begins to get at some dramatic meat. Alison Lohman looks lovely, and, er, that’s it. Helena Bonham Carter’s character is merely used to provide unnecessary conflict that the story really doesn’t need, and her character amounts to nothing.
There’s a few thematic ideas present that appear to be rather interesting: Crudup’s character wants his father to stop telling tall tales, and his purpose really is emblematic of today’s youth wanting previous generations to change to suit them. The movie suggests that perhaps he should change to accept the shortcomings and quirks of his father, who apparently was never there for his son. Also, but more disturbingly, there’s the suggestion that the circus is a safe haven for those that are different. Bloom’s younger self is seen in a flashback selling a gentle giant he has befriended to the circus, where it is intoned he will be carted out to audiences every night as a showpiece of sorts. Maybe it’s me, but this seemed like a gregarious oversight of the struggles, hardship and general unpleasantness of working at a circus (I had a friend in the circus).
Still, there’s some wonderful cinematography here, and the music is very well placed. And even if the movie fails to really connect with you (as it failed with me), the final twenty minutes or so are really wonderful. Oh, and Steve Buchemi and Pearl Jam completists take note: Buchemi has a few scenes, in something of an extended cameo, while an original, and pretty good, Pearl Jam song plays over the closing credits.
fabfunk
Another regular couldn’t disagree more:
Harry, Mori:
ZeMightyJedd here. I just returned from a screening of Big Fish at the Mann’s Theater in Hollywood. I know that you have already posted several Big Fish reviews, but I really hope that you can find a spot on the site for this one, because I really want to get the word out about this flick.
INCREDIBLE. This is one of the most moving films that I have seen in years. I cannot remember the last time I so much as shed a tear during a movie, but during the final scenes of Big Fish, as tears streamed down my face, I had to use all my strength to stop from completely weeping. Tim Burton has just completed his masterpiece.
A quick word about Burton: I LOVE Sleepy Hollow, and I have a special fond spot in my heart for Pee Wee’s Big Adventure. While I somewhat enjoyed both Edward Scissorhands and Beetlejuice, I never really liked those films as much as many other people seem to; I certainly felt impressed by aspects of both films, but I also found them a bit long and boring. Same goes for Batman, which I loved as a kid, but has not aged well. I am sharing these sentiments not to arouse Talk-Back anger, but just to stress that I did not approach this film as a Burton fanatic.
Everyone out there should know the gist of Big Fish by now, but I will provide a thorough plot rundown (BIG SPOILERS):
William Bloom (Billy Crudup) loathes the stories told by his father Edward (Albert Finney). From childhood to adulthood, William has never been able to learn the “truth” about his father’s life, because Edward has always insisted on telling his son (and everyone else) fantastical stories in place of true, autobiographical information. You see, Edward is a firm believer that one should never let the truth stand in the way of a good story, and he has embellished and exaggerated his life story so much that it now resembles a collection of tall tales. In fact, Edward has repeated these beloved tales so many times that he seems to actually believe them himself. That is fine with everyone except for William, who longs to know the facts about his father’s life, instead of the delightful fictions.
After not speaking to his father for several years, William receives word from his mom (Jessica Lange) that Edward is dying. Along with his pregnant wife, William leaves his home in Paris to visit his parents in Alabama and try to make peace with Edward. Hoping that Edward’s approaching death will bring seriousness and honesty to the situation, William is frustrated to find that his father continues to answer his questions with unbelievable tales of magic, romance, and adventure.
As Edward tells his tales, we watch a young Edward (Ewan McGregor) take part in scores of amazing adventures. Edward meets a witch, befriends a gentle giant, discovers an enchanted town hidden in a haunted forest, has several run-ins with a magical fish, joins the circus, parachutes into the middle of a Japanese camp during World War II and is saved by a pair of Siamese twins, robs a bank, fights a werewolf, and captures the love of his life. Believe me, I have just barely scratched the surface.
In the present time, as his father’s health worsens, Will launches his own investigation and learns that the truth of Edward Bloom’s life is not necessarily that far from the fiction. And much more importantly, he learns that even the most fantastical stories represent his father in a far greater way than the stone hard facts ever could. Big Fish culminates in one of the most joyous and heart-wrenching scenes that I have ever encountered in a movie.
The film did have some weak points, though they were few and far between. At times, the present day storyline could drag (especially near the end), although in a strange way this elevated my enjoyment of--and desire to believe in--Edward Bloom’s “fantasy life.” Also, I found Helena Bonham Carter’s speech towards the end of the film to be a bit confusing. Still, these are tiny gripes.
The acting was PHENOMENAL, with Jessica Lange standing out from the thoroughly impressive cast. I think she deserves an Oscar nod for Best Supporting Actress. One scene in a bathtub (you’ve probably seen snippets of it in commercials and trailers) was so amazing—Lange is breathtaking. Obviously, Steve Buscemi and Danny Devito are quite entertaining, but I was surprised by a powerful yet low-key performance by Robert Guillaume. The art direction was Oscar caliber--as with most Burton movies, the scenery and sets were like candy for the eyes.
I always feel that one litmus test for the strength of a movie is to see how many people stay in their seats to watch the closing credits. An enormous number stayed at the Big Fish screening, even after the awesome Pearl Jam song had ended, and it was clear that, like me, they just did not want the movie to end, did not want to leave Edward Bloom behind.
After leaving the theater, I could not stop thinking about my grandfather Frank, who passed away last year. While I deeply love all of my grandparents, Grandpa Frank was the one that I felt closest to. He always had a great story to tell, and even as a teenager or an adult I looked forward to sitting down with him and hearing his tales. Certainly his stories were not as unbelievable as Edward Bloom’s, but, like Edward’s, they were filled with whimsy, adventure, and a bit of magic. Grandpa Frank would share memories of his childhood in Brooklyn: playing stickball with the kids who would grow up to become the gangsters of Murder Incorporated, bicycling around Wall Street as the Stock Market crashed, watching a mob of his junior high school classmates chase a racist teacher for several city blocks, all the while cheered on by the rest of the school’s faculty. The stories go on and on—looking at what I just typed, I realize that I may not have shared the best of them, but that is okay—you get the picture.
My point is that I don’t even care if Grandpa Frank’s stories are factual. I don’t want to know. I believe them, and I will tell them to my kids one day, and eventually these stories will live on for generations, even though Frank is gone. These stories are my grandfather, and they reveal more truth about his life and personality than any route biographical information ever could.
Think about the great stories that you have been told by your loved ones, and think about how much they mean to you. Think about the great stories that you have told to your friends and family, and how much you hope that your tales are remembered and appreciated. More than anything, do yourself a favor and see Big Fish with your family this holiday season. It is a masterpiece.
ZeMightyJedd
Sounds like Jemma McFatBack agrees:
Hey Harry,
Just saw the Big Fish review up on the site so I thought I'd add my own. I've contributed before as Jemma McFatBack...
Big Fish is a big beautiful piece of film-making which takes place in two time frames - a terminally ill man tells his life story to those who will listen and to those who don't want to - most notably his son, William (Billy Crudup). What Big Fish does with this oft-used set up is the key to its magic.
Will is sick of his father's (Albert Finney) fantastical life story, played out on the screen as the adventures of Ewan McGregor. In sequences sure to draw comparison with Forrest Gump, the young Edward Bloom travels through a romantically recreated recent American upbringing - the smalltown star who leaves home in search of bigger things. Only these anecdotes are blessed with an unreal, bed-time story quality and so the flashbacks allow Burton's imagination, so criminally caged in Planet Of The Apes, to run free.
Sure, strangers are enthralled, but Will is rather less impressed. After a life of hearing these over-the-top tales, he's a son who just wants to know his father. While the story is ostensibly about that, then, Burton's latest works as a love letter to great storytellers... and with it, he confirms that he fits into that category himself. That monkey movie was just washed clean from my memory.
Big Fish is, without doubt, one of the most complete pieces of cinema I've seen in a good while - imaginitive, caringly created, beautifully written and perfomed (by most involved) and packs an emotional wallop the likes of which I've not had the pleasure of shedding tears for in recent memory.
But it was a resonance that crept up on me after a first hour which, whilst always thoroughly watchable, never quite reeled me in as much as I'd have hoped. As McGregor happens upon the out-there people and situations that populate Finney's recollections, there are moments of sheer pleasure to be had... but the connection I needed to the lead wasn't as forthcoming as it might have been. Luckily, what McGregor (hamstrung here by another attempted American accent) lacks in terms of charisma, Finney makes up for in spades. Don't get me wrong... it's an entertaining, occasionally superb set-up but it's not up to the quality of the pay off.
Which I can't comment upon other than to say that it's going to send you reeling from the cinema, emotions on display for all to see, dizzied by the experience. As a story, it's a heartwarming testament to the best facets of human nature... as a film, it's a knowing display of what makes great storytelling... of why we follow our heroes and need their tales ... and that combination just reacts with me. Violenty. Reacts like the most whizz-bang experiment you ever saw in a science lab... sparks of excitement and bubbles of heartfelt emotion flying in all directions.
Big Fish prompted a response in me I've not felt since The Truman Show. It's a very different film in many ways but they both understand the value of stories as escapism, inspiration, entertainment... know how and why they work and wear on their sleeve an understanding of why we spend so much of our lives reading, listening to or staring at the work of storytellers and at the same time feed that addiction.
There's also a giant in it who looks like England rugby captain, Martin Johnson.
Erm... yeah, so I think I just explained why I love it. Now for a cursory nod to all involved. Jessica Lange and Alison Lohman as Edward's wife - excellent casing, spot on performances. Steve Buscemi watchable in a cameo. Helena Bonham Carter as cool as ever... I've never seen her in anything dreary but she adds such a quality to energetic films like this or Fight Club. The score, which I'm guessing was Elfman, was...
Oh sod it. I can't deconstruct it. I don't want to. It was an awesome cinematic experience, one where I'll remember the first time I saw it with as much affection as I hold for the film itself. I'll see it again when it's released and maybe work out more about what made it good but for now... thank-you, Tim Burton. Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you. And welcome back.
Harry... you're gonna cry like a baby ;)
Want another love letter?
Have you ever watched a movie... and it got you all choked up, even though you feel nothing? I'll use Armageddon as an example, although I'm sure it will get disputed. You know at the end where he sacrifices himself to save the universe, and Arwen is all like "DADDY" and Affleck is like "NO!"? You know how that makes you sort of choke up, get a little teary eyed, but at the same time, you feel ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.
This is the kind of superficial meaninglessness that movies seem to be made of more and more these days. Think hard... when was the last time a Hollywood film actually MOVED you? When was the last time that you actually got tears in your eyes from a Hollywood film?
I know that for me, it has been a long damn time.
Until tonight.
"Big Fish" is a movie that we don't have the pleasure of seeing very often anymore. It is an excellent, beautiful, and MOVING film.
Throughout the film, I was smiling. Genuinely smiling. It wasn't like most films, where you laugh at some parts, giggle at others, and smirk at bad jokes. This movie had me smiling the whole way though.
It was incredible.
It was so genuine in its innocence, so beautiful in its gentleness, so funny in its own bizzare way. It recaptured many of the same feelings that "Edward Scissorhands" evokes. The story and characters were so charming, so lovable, so brilliantly witten and performed... you could not help but love the film.
Rarely do films that come and go actually move me, and rarely do I get emotionally invested in characters, but this film did it for me.
It was a really wonderful feeling, and a really great movie.
Ewan McGregor was just as brilliant as he's ever been. He really has the opportunity to play a character that fits his acting style. He is wide-eyed and innocent, charming and funny. Equally as impressive was Albert Finney, playing the older Edward Bloom. His voice alone was enough to captivate the entire audience, and when he starts to tell a story, I think we could sit and listen to him talk for the rest of the film. He has an incredible performance, and he really does steal the film from everyone else.
Burton always presents a beautiful and interesting setting for his great stories, and this is no exception. The look of the film is cool to the point of distraction. I could watch this movies ten more times, just to see all the strange details that have been put into the settings. It keeps the "Burton" feel, but it is much lighter than his usually style. It is much more playful, and much less of his normal... well... creepy-goth-wierdo... not to say that I don't love it... it just seems that this is Burton expanding on his usual style.
This is the kind of film that is so brilliant, I could go with my friends or my Mother... and they would like it equally. I was not expecting to be as moved as I was by this film, and if you are prone to cry in films...and even if you aren't... be prepared to get tearyeyed.
If you are in the mood to see a GREAT film... with a GREAT cast... by a GREAT Director... this movie will NOT dissapoint.
Thanks.
Stoop.
How about a mixed reaction?
Evening Harry,
Donnie Darko here. I just got back from an advance screening of Tim Burton's latest, Big Fish here in Toronto. Before I get into my "review", let it be known that I've been kind of disappointed by Burton's last couple efforts (Planet of the Apes, Sleepy Hollow)....Let's hope the forthcoming Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a return to form.
But what about Big Fish? Well, it's on the right track but takes a couple wrong turns along the way. It seems somewhat of a departure from Burton's usual fare – an attempt at the type of feel good Forest Gumpish stuff that aims to make you leave the theatre smiling. So if you're already not a fan of that type of film (I'm not partial myself), chances are you're not going to like this. That being said, however, there are several things within this film that set it apart from the rest. Now let me say that this isn't necessarily a good thing...or a bad thing for that matter.
The film has it's flaws...many, but there are enough classic Burtonisms throughout that in my opinion redeem it. I won't spoil any of those here because for me that's what made the movie worth seeing. I stress the seeing, because with Burton it's almost always the visuals which get to me, and there enough of startling and refreshing ones here to keep things interesting. Indeed, it seems as though Burton and co. were trying to make things as interesting as they could....and although the story is supposed to be fantastical (and it is), I felt they were restraining themselves. Some of the "stories" told stop short of those crazy giddy heights you know they could have come to. I haven't read the book this was apparently based on, but I got the impression Burton was being more faithful to it than his own instincts perhaps. A little more imagination on his part could have brought things to another level.
The film can't be faulted on the performances of its actors. Everyone does a fine job – not outstanding – but they get the job done and evoke all the emotions required, including a few in the audience from what I saw.
Basically, I just kept wanting the movie to get better, but it never did. It's entertaining and watchable throughout, certainly, but I kept hoping for that extra something that was going to send me into fits of delight on the theatre floor. Sadly, I went home without being escorted from the premises. Definitely an enjoyable film. Ultra super sappy. Good performances. Fun special effects. Several missed opportunities, but still a good time. There you have it.
I'm not the best writer, so umm....sorry about that, but uh...yeah.
Big rant here:
I've been reading your site for awhile now but never written a review before. I had the extreme pleasure of getting to see Big Fish last night.
I've been a fan of Tim Burton's work since before I knew who he was. This goes back to Frankenweenie and Pee Wee's Big Adventure. So, in reviewing this movie I can't exactly say I'm unbiased when it comes to his work. (Planet of the Apes just seems like a severe abberation.) Bear this in mind when I say that I think Big Fish is his best movie ever and that I firmly believe that he has found the balance between his etherial weirdness and moral stories that tug at the heart strings. It struck me last night that there is a term for the sort of films Burton is best at though it's normally applied to fiction and not movies: magical realism.
Essentially this movie is about the life of one Edward Bloome, told in his own voice through small vignettes. In his younger years he is played by Ewan McGregor who does not miss a single beat. I find it very interesting that some how they made him look less polished than normal yet still amazingly appealing. Through him, and a bizarre cast of others, we're taken into a world that is just a few steps from this one. Helena Bonham Carter, Jessica Lange and Danny Devito are perfect though I feel Jessica Lange is a little underused. Steve Buscemi is a treat as he manages to fit into his character perfectly.
Overarching the stories being told and weaving in and out of the background, is the story of a man and his father. All he wants is to know who his father is before he dies, wants the truth from him just once. He wants to know who his father was so he can tell his children. His father doesn't understand how his father can't see that he is telling him the truth - just embellished just a little. Each one of the tales has a small but important lesson embedded in them but the important lesson is the one told by the interaction between father and son.
The movie isn't perfect, to be certain. There were a few minor editing mistakes that I caught. Also, Danny Elfman's score, while very fitting in a very places,is underwhelming for the most part. I expected it to be more memorable and a little less in the background. (Though he did write a song which is sung in the movie. It's hilarious.) There was a moment or two where a special effect didn't quite for for me but it passed quickly.
The visuals are stunning and the use of color is very dramatic. The field of daffodils and Ewan Mcgregor in a blue suit (again) is the one that sticks with me the morning after. I can see why Tim Burton's name is being tossed around for an Academy Award nomination for Best Director for this movie. It is a great movie at different turns pulling laughs and tears from the audience.
Do yourself a favor - go and see it when it comes out.
-Lithera
Lots of reactions to chew on. Can’t wait to check it out m’self this weekend.
"Moriarty" out.
