A Heartfelt Modern Day Fairy-Tale

Rating: 8/10 (10 July 2011)

Big Fish is the story of a storyteller, Edward Bloom, who loves to exaggerate otherwise simple stories of his life. This causes his son, Will, to feel distant from his father because he thinks his father hasn't told him a single fact in his whole life. Their relationship is strained, but that doesn't stop Edward from relating his life experiences to Will's wife and others who will listen. He tells such stories as meeting a witch, befriending a giant, working at the circus, being part of a war, and meeting the love of his life. All these stories are greatly exaggerated but the fiction is sometimes more interesting then the fact. Next to Edward Scissorhands, Big Fish is probably the most emotional film done by Tim Burton and it's not like most of his other films. The real world is mostly just plain and not really exciting to look at, while Edward's stories take place in exciting and beautiful scenarios. This film is very different from Burton's usual work and is a joy to watch through and through.