BIG FISH has a big heart.

Rating: 10/10 (4 September 2008)

My Take: Wildly imaginative story-telling. And after a second look, a truly great movie.
When we hear the name Tim Burton, we don't usually expect merriment or the cheerfulness, at least not without a dash of melancholy or the dark and depressing. This is perhaps one of the reasons why Burton remains one of the most imaginative and bold visionary filmmakers Hollywood still gives a job to. Other than two dark and brilliant BATMAN movies to his credit, he is also responsible for dark "fairy tales" such as EDWARD SCISSORHANDS and SLEEPY HOLLOW, not to mention clever black comedies as BEETLEJUICE and MARS ATTACKS! But much like other artists, confine Burton to some unfamiliar terrain and you either get a good experiment or a terrible film. Burton proves he can't do sci-fi remakes in his disappointing remake of the classic PLANET OF THE APES. Now Burton breaks out on his old routine once more in BIG FISH, a comedy/drama about life with a little dash of fairy tale-esquire metaphors. Despite it's nod to fantasy (one of Burton's favorite genres) and a few talks of dark elements, BIG FISH is more about lightheartedness and sentimentality, certainly not the sort of things Burton works with.
But some surprise! BIG FISH, while not pure Burton, is a terrific Tim Burton film nonetheless. It's elaborate, fanciful, imaginative and oftentimes uplifting. Above all, it's an ode to the power of storytelling. It's not in league with Burton's other films, simply parting him from his craft is sets it aside, but that may also be the reason why this film is simply stirring and curious entertainment. It's so unlike Burton that it's also unlike any film I've ever seen.
The story's about an old man named Edward Bloom (Albert Finney), already at his deathbed, and to remember him by, he tells the story of his life in a series of stretchy metaphors, much to the delight of his wife (Jessica Lange) and much to the dissatisfaction of his son (Billy Crudup). He tells, as a young man (played by Ewan McGregor), that his life was filled with adventures tied with life, love, revelations, realizations and life-changing moments. But here's the stretch: he also confronts an ugly giant who just happens to be misplaced in a small town, he also works for a carnival barker (Danny DeVito) in a carnival unlike other, he encounters mermaids & other magical entities and when they say when you find the love of your life, time stops, it's true!
Perhaps I one of the reasons I didn't love BIG FISH that much when I first saw it is that it was totally different from Burton's other efforts. After seeing it again, I accepted it's differences and was thoroughly satisfied by a fantastic and highly original work. It's treacly to be sure, something that Burton usually avoids in his other films (he usually lets us relate to his characters in pains, not comforts). But BIG FISH, with it's differences, is proof that Burton can go soft on us if he can.
Rating: ***** out of 5.