Like Tim Burton...

Rating: 10/10 (19 June 2007)

Have you seen when something's magical? But I'm not talking of the magic magicians do, I mean when something is so incredible that it completes you inside; therefore it's magical. I'm talking about the unavoidable feeling when watching "Finding Neverland" and about the obliged feeling when watching any Tim Burton movie. All of the magical things we live in life, one way or another, Burton has expressed them in images throughout his career...In movies.
That I have seen a big part of Burton's films and that until today I have only written about "Charlie and the chocolate factory" is beyond me; but I'll try to make it up talking a little bit about his, undoubtedly, best film. By far the most underrated movie of 2003, "Big Fish" is a journey of the imagination to its greatest extreme; the vision of life in the eyes of a man who couldn't seem more ordinary.
This man is Edward Bloom, and I would like to see life the way he does: ill and about to die, and telling his son Will (Billy Crudup) the true story of his existence, in an attempt to reconcile their differences. The thing is that Will ha always questioned his father's 'distortion' of the truth he has had to deal with all his life; and maybe this last story of Edward has the same little amount of truth as the others...Or maybe it is the whole truth.
"I tell stories", the father simply declares to his son. It's a fact that everyone who likes listening to stories (and even the ones who don't) likes people to tell them with a little bit of seasoning; as you'll see Edward does. And that's also Tim Burton's main characteristic as a director; to give something extra to all of his films, which becomes a completely personal touch.
So it is like if Daniel Wallace had written his novel knowing that John August would adapt it creating a marvelous script that Tim Burton would later turn into this excellent film. With the images of Phillipe Rousselot's photography, the filmmaker lets his imagination loose, letting us see that he has pretty much in common with the main character of the story.
The movie is, of course, coherent as a whole; but it's nice to say that it is a collection of beautiful scenes that don't cease to amaze us for a minute. One scene is particularly spectacular, for any cinema lover as for a lover of love itself. Edward is narrating the day he met his wife. "The say that when you meet the love of your life, time stops". Burton literally freezes the whole image, allowing the movement of the main character only, who takes some 'frozen' popcorn in the air out of the way, to get to the woman he's looking for. Instantly, everything's moving again and the scene reaches its end in a funny way you must appreciate.
That scene is pure cinematographic art, the magic I'm talking about: flawless. Actually there are not many flaws in "Big Fish", with Ewan McGregor and Albert Finney portraying the young and old Edward, respectively; both in a way so moving that it's difficult to differentiate them. Starting from Billy Crudup, the rest of the cast is perfect: inspired Danny DeVito, big presence from Matthew McGrory and Steve Buscemi playing a role that couldn't have been for another person.
Burton knows which actors to choose, and which actresses. Jessica Lange shines unstoppably in her role of the faithful and loyal wife; Alison Lohnman (a promising young actress) gives interest to a part that doesn't seem to have it, and the always mystical Helena Bonham Carter doesn't do more than stealing the show. Danny Elfman's score also steals the show but it's really one more character, as in any Burton film (if you haven't seen "Edward Scissorhands", give yourself a chance: it's a great movie, but the music...).
In conclusion, "Big Fish" is no more than the piece where all the things Burton has worked on come together. That fantastic atmosphere of each film is present in this film with a lot more characters: here we find, at least bits, of a Jack, an Ed Wood, a headless horseman and even the other Edward; scissorhands. Coming to think of it, I would like to see life not so much like Edward Bloom, but maybe like Tim Burton.