Style and substance make this a worthwhile adventure

Rating: 9/10 (24 July 2006)

Whimsical.
Offbeat.
Gripping.
An epic adventure.
Big Fish is one of Tim Burton's more colorful films. It moves away from his typically dark Gothic undertones and into whimsical fairytale land with giants, witches, Siamese twins, hidden cities, mermaids, sirens and werewolves, coating the film in a rich fantasy glaze, but it keeps its storyline grounded and simple throughout: it chronicles the life of Edgar Bloom (Albert Finney; Ewan McGregor) as he, on his deathbed, retells his experiences and stories for his son to mend their broken relationship.
This is one of the most beautiful, elegantly-crafted visual films I have ever had the pleasure of seeing. Yet it is evident that Burton does not neglect other aspects of film-making by focusing too much on stylistic devices. He is, first and foremost, a storyteller and never lets visuals alone carry a tale; the visuals facilitate the story, and not the other way around. This is seen by the strong performances by the cast, and in particular, Ewan McGregor and Albert Finney who both portray the lead of Ed Bloom at different periods in his life. They help carry the story, as do the unusual humour and the magical score by Danny Elfman.
Toward the end of Big Fish, I realised how smitten I had become with all the quirky characters, the central father-and-son relationship and the overdose of style that Burton presents--to the extent that I was sad when the film ended even though the conclusion was very satisfying. The film most probably has a few flaws (there were some segments that felt too long) and if you don't like strange or whimsical, then Big Fish isn't for you.
Lastly, anyone who likens this offbeat gem to the studio schmaltz that is Forrest Gump should be shot in the knees.
9/10