Most directors will tell you stories straight through. It won't be complicated, but it won't be interesting either.

Rating: 10/10 (22 June 2004)

Think about all the directors in Hollywood. How many truly unique talents are there? Not many, I'd say. And how many directors actually have a recognizable style? Even fewer. Steven Spielberg, Quentin Tarantino, the Coen Brothers, the ZAZ team... Those are the names that come to my mind. But there's one person who rises above all the others, and that man is Tim Burton.
I have been a fan of Tim Burton's work for a long time. I've seen all of his full-length movies expect "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure" and the only one that doesn't really feel like a Burton flick is the watchable-yet-disappointing "The Planet Of The Apes". It was okay for a summer blockbuster, but it lacked that special Burton magic. All the other movies of his are as Burtonesque as they could possibly be. I even like "Mars Attacks!" a lot which is a movie Burton fans either seem to love or hate. It's hard to name my favorite of Burton's productions, they are all quite different in spite of having the magical Burton touch. In Tim's movies fantasy meets reality and the results are like fairy tales with dark undertones. "Ed Wood" is Tim's most realistic film to date, but it also manages to be more than just a typical biography movie. It might have been shot black-and-white, but it's definitely one of, if not the most, colorful story about a life of a person who actually existed.
When I first read about "Big Fish" I was a little skeptical because I thought it would be a typical family drama. But thank God it was Tim Burton who was directing it. All my doubts disappeared when I saw the trailer for the film. Having seen the film itself I'd say that the trailer is actually one of the best I've ever seen.
It's really refreshing to see a movie which is sad, funny, touching and heart-warming at the same time. I don't think the film ever turns into a tear-jerker as the "realistic" parts of the film are very life-like. And in the hands of a bland director the "fantasy" parts could've become a real mess. But with Burton at the helm, we are treated to his greatest hits. We get weird and captivating characters (witches, Siamese twins, also a werewolf...), stunning images and colors, Danny Elfman's gorgeous score, the exactly right amount of humor and those wild stories. The stories Ed Bloom tells might not be 100% true, but they sure are entertaining!
And the cast... Tim Burton once again got a great team to work with. The main players are Albert Finney and Ewan McGregor who are both outstanding and worth at least a few awards. Smaller roles are played by Billy Crudup, Jessica Lange, Alison Lohman, Steve Buscemi, Danny DeVito and Helena Bonham-Carter. Their roles might be small, but they all contribute something special to the story. Many people have complained about Jessica Lange being wasted in such a small role. I don't think she was wasted at all. The most beautiful scene of the film has Sandra Bloom getting into a bathtub fully-clothed with her dying husband and only a few words are spoken during this scene. More dialog is not needed as the two highly talented actors show what they are capable of.
"Big Fish" is a movie that will definitely become a Burton classic. It would have deserved bigger box office grosses, but as one reviewer put it, the movie will more likely become more popular on small screen and gain more and more popularity over the years. It's a bit sad that people spend so much money on totally forgettable "entertainment" and let true jewels like "Big Fish" pass by. On the other hand, those brainless productions will be forgotten in a blink of an eye while the gems will live on. Just like Edward Bloom's stories in the movie.
Full points. It's a classic.