A moving fantasy about fathers & sons and storytelling

Rating: 8/10 (23 February 2009)

Tim Burton's "Big Fish" concerns a man trying to uncover the truth about his dying father before it's too late. His father happens to be an incorrigible tall tale teller; as a result, the line between fact and fiction has long been blurred. The film cuts between the father's colorful reminiscences and his last days with his wife and son.
The cast is a good one though I think that it was a bit of an odd choice to have Alabama-born Edward Bloom portrayed by Scot Ewan McGregor & Brit Albert Finney. Nevertheless, it isn't necessarily a detraction since the character is more about theatricality than realism. Billy Crudup delivers a fine performance in a thankless role as Edward's son, the one person who isn't taken in by his charm. The film is also populated with a number of well-chosen character actors like Steve Buscemi & Robert Guillaume.
Burton's direction is well-handled but I found that it took him a little while to strike the right balance between real life & fantasy. However, once the balance is struck there's no looking back. The score by Danny Elfman (which landed the film its only Oscar nomination) is alright but I wouldn't rank it among his best. More memorable, in my mind, are a handful of well-chosen soundtrack choices like Elvis's "All Shook Up" during a wartime parachuting mission and Canned Heat's "Let's Work Together" during a bank robbery.
In the end, the thing that really hooks me is the emotional content of the film. I don't know if women would react the same way but there's just something about the way that it represents the unspoken bond between a father and son.
I can only imagine why this film was almost completely ignored by the AMPAS. Comparatively, it received seven BAFTA nominations (including Best Film), which is the kind of reception that I think it deserved. In any case, I certainly recommend the film though it will undoubtedly not appeal to all tastes.