Fact or fiction?

Rating: 8/10 (17 October 2006)

Was Ed Bloom making up all the tall-tales in Big Fish? Or, could they really have been his life experiences? The ending of Tim Burton's film leaves that up to the viewers. This "open to interpretation" ending will reveal those who are more down to earth and those who are more liberal minded. But regardless of the extraordinary elements in Big Fish, there is plenty of entertainment for both sides. I'd like to be Ed Bloom. Whether or not he's inventing all these stories to bury some kind of childhood trauma or something like that, he still believes he's lived all that he says. I think this character is rather refreshing; of course, for some, he may be irritating, and I respect that position. Instead of just telling everyone, while recounting his childhood, that he and his friends had a lot of goofs together, they met a witch. Instead of saying that he got tired of his home town and just left, he actually rid the town of a big bad giant and had to leave with him. And instead of merely dying on a hospital bed like everyone else, he was carried through his wishful memories and left this world in the arms of his son, surrounded by people who hold him as a king. And what if he isn't lying? As a matter of fact, all the people Ed talks about actually exist. If he isn't, then Tim Burton constructed a beautiful and credible world of magic, bizarre creatures, people and towns (Specter). Believe it or not, it doesn't hinder the film. The acting is strong, especially by Albert Finney and Ewan McGregor. The latter makes the surreal events in the film look completely natural, and Finney plays old man Bloom to perfection, masterfully relating to us that he is totally convinced that his tall-tales are fact. Interestingly, Burton doesn't really choose a side. He gives huge hints that Bloom's are just "enhancements" of reality, but then again, we're talking about Tim freakin' Burton here. He never takes us once for fools. He seems to tell us that since we've been putting up with such lousy, half-baked films lately, then he's going to reward with something special, a treat. And indeed he does. Take the scene, for instance, when young Ed Bloom meets his true love. The script clearly states "They say when you meet the love of your life, time stops. And that's true". Burton does not allow himself to merely point this out to us and proceed. He acts it out; he actually makes time stop. Now, this isn't so-called "ingenious" film-making, but it is truly unexpected and quite hilarious. So, why such a high grade for Big Fish? I guess I'm a sucker for these films. It's getting harder and harder to make feel good movies, that is, without falling into the "corny" category. So when one comes along that is so visually agreeable, well performed and clever, I fall for it.