Review of Big Fish (2003) by Russell F — 05 Nov 2011

Yeah, that's right world, Alabama's not looking so bad now is it? Man, we're reeling in Tim Burton, Ewan McGregor and Danny DeVito to come down and film us as reasonably sensible people... and yet still really stereotyped. Man, we just cannot catch a break, but hey, at least we're getting "some" people down here, but let's get the word out that we're cool now so that we can get more competent filmmakers over here, because seriously, what do we have? "October Baby"? It's bad enough that they actually made that film, but we're the only people who know about it, but really, if there's anything I can say about our being stereotyped, it prevents people from seeing that, because that is not the best start for us if we're trying to convice people that we're not dumb anymore. No, but seriously though, I don't mean to get preachy, but take it from me, as a person who's beloved home has been judged for its past mistakes, it truly is wrong to label someone, simply by their past. There, now that we're done with that, let's talk about this film directed by the guy who did "Beetlejuice" and starring Obi-Wan Kenobi, Tom Jones and Russell Hammond from "Almost Famous".

What's so good about this film is that it boasts much of what's great about Tim Burton's style, yet is so radically different from Burton's usual tricks, leaving even his usual haul of mistakes to miss the ride. Oh no, there's a different batch of flaws, with the most notable being the storytelling. Now, Burton has never been Kenneth Branagh in terms of storytelling, and the storytelling in here isn't terribly messy, but it does hit its faults, particularly genericism. If you've seen "Forrest Gump" or, well, any film about some weird southern guy narrating his odd life, then you've seen this film, but probably not one this down to the conventions of its genre, with dialogue and story points not necessarily being bad, but feeling so overly familiar. Something else that distinguishes this film from others of its type is the way it presents the stories and present day, because it spends way too much time in either world that after a while, you forget about what is going on. Were it not for its faulty storytelling and feeling so generic, this really could have been something excellent, but that's just Tim Burton, someone who has the potential to shoot high, but almost always seems to slip up in one major department. Still, no director - with the exception of David Fincher - is perfect, and although Burton's experiment with deviating from most of his usual tricks comes back with some holes in the results, it still shows just how good a director he really is.

Burton's storytelling is faulty, but not completely bad. In fact, when you get down to it, he does more things right than he does wrong, and sure, what he does wrong keeps the film from being as good as it could have been, but when it comes to setting tone, he hits home on emotional resonance, as well as entertainment value, keeping the film at a fairly smooth pace. Of course, what is easily most impressive about Burton's storytelling is how he immerses you into this odd world, managing to keep everything a mystery in order to keep you engaged as you wonder what is reality and what is fabricated as this story unravels, until it finally comes down to its deeply emotionally satisfying conclusion. If you see this film for no other reason, then see it for Burton's direction, which is so extremely well done and significantly different from anything he has ever done, which isn't to say that he doesn't bring his usual dazzle, but with some twists. Burton brings back Elfman for another fantastic score, as well as his incredible taste in elaborate, very lively production designs that really pop out at you. Of course, what jumps out the most in the technical department is easily the cinematography, which has that usual Burton flair, but instead of being pale, it has such a softness and brilliance, but when the film goes into flashback mode - as it so very often does -, it puts on that cliche bright light, but because the flashbacks are so prominent, the lighting is pulled back enough to still keep you aware of where you are in the film, but still boast such stunning vividness that plays such a magically amazing part in the film's fantastic imagination. Although his storytelling is pure genericism, the world and life Burton breathes into this film is so strikingly unique for both him and a film of this type, making it so very entertaining and hypnotically fascinating, but it couldn't have been as effective as it was, were it not for the performers.

From a tonal and technical aspect, the film is a marvel, but from a story aspect, it's a mess. Still, it remains grounded almost entirely because of the performers, and for every inconsistency or misstep, they do what they can to catch us up and deliver. Ewan McGregor and Billy Crudup have established themselves as extreme talents that are arguably among today's greats, and it's hard to doubt that theory in here, where they keep you grounded in both present day and the past. McGregor has such charisma and power in his presence that he has you believing his world, or at the very least, drawn to it, which isn't to say that his older counterpart, Albert Finney, doesn't provide the emotion for you to get a true intimate look into the mind of the Edward Bloom character. Finney carries his half of the story, but finds himself matched only by Billy Crudup, who gives a humanly layered and heartfelt performance as this man who's wanting to know more about his father and questioning if he even knows the truth about his father. You really feel the Will Bloom character's emotional claustrophobia as he struggles to define his father's life, and by extension, his own, and every time Crudup is onscreen, he owns it. When a Tim Burton cast is really good, then you can bet that the leads aren't the only ones who bring great game, and sure enough, each and every individual member of this wide cast plays his or her part with grace and life to keep you teathered to this film, which only makes it that much harder that it couldn't have been better, but still keeps you entertained.

Overall, its story is very sloppily set up and generically executed, so much so that the final product is kept from achieving the greatness it promises, but in spite of it all, its strengths still stand tall, giving us much life and dazzle from a technical aspect, and compelling charm from an acting aspect, as well as extreme uniqueness from Tim Burton, who's big break-away directing job may be far from flawless, but still has such energy, emotion and entertainment value to add an extra kick to the deeply fascinating, touching and imaginative complexities that ultimately leave "Big Fish" to stand as a thoroughly enjoyable experience with enough uniquness to keep you captivated from beginning to end.

3/5 - Good.