Film Review 2: Big Fish
Not a "current" film, but a film that I was looking forward to watch for a long time. Had the pleasure of watching it with a bunch of friends as well, in the (dis)comfort of my home, heh :P
Big Fish is a beautiful and sensitive piece of work, combining the trademark weirdness of director Tim Burton with the discovery of their true inner selves by both father and son. The cast is nothing short of impressive.... from Albert Finney as the father Edward Bloom, Ewan McGregor as the young Edward and the timelessly gorgeous Jessica Lange as the mother Sandra Bloom. Not to mention the surprise choice, French stunner Marion Cotillard as the daughter-in-law and the highly versatile Alison Lohman as the young Sandra. Even resident scene stealer Steve Buscemi makes an appearance, which further livens up the already excellent casting.
However, it is the relatively unknown Billy Crudup who left the greatest impression on me. As Will Bloom, his understated desire to be the filial son is often pecked back by his father's insistence of telling him stories that to him are merely exaggerated tales concocted by the senior Bloom. Will yearns for the truth, true facts that will enable him to understand the man he thought he never did. The most touching moment comes in the end when Will finally accepts his old man for the way he has always been. Will conjures up one last story on behalf of the dying Edward, a story befitting enough for the sending off of the master storyteller himself.
As touching as the film was, it somehow fails to reach the level of sensitivity shown in Edward Scissorshands -- to me, still the best effort from Burton. Perhaps it isn't fair to compare them because ES had THE two masters of weird, Burton and Johnny Depp, easily a perfect match to tell a perfect story. Big Fish certainly has the creative elements, if given a more consistent treatment, would no doubt have made it a more outstanding film that would've left a greater impact on audiences.
Who should watch: Those who want to sit through a good touching story with excellent and unique visuals
Who shouldn't watch: Burton fans who have set their expectations way too high since the 1st glimpse of his brilliance 15 years ago.
Rating: 7.5
posted by cubicle @ 2:23 AM
2 stopped by the cubicle
2 Comments:
i liked the fact that the father loved life and his son so much to want to protect him from the grey in life. he created a world in technicolour and offered it as reality to buffer a harsh world. perhaps truth comes in colour too.
a touch of La Vita e bella eh? In both cases, we see this lush make-believe world created entirely out of a father's vivid imagination for his son to immerse in.
For la vita, its the holocaust which lend a deeper dimension to the film. For Big Fish, it was ...wat? The harsh world out there? How harsh is this world out there? We see Will (Billy Crudrup) surviving pretty well as a foreign journalist with a beautiful French wife. The thing which gnares at his inner psyche is solely the fact that he doesn't know who his dad was.
Unfortunately his dad was a droner (or a dua-kang kia). He couldn't accept it. His dad did not create these stories to buffer his son from the world. He tells his stories whenever he has the chance to. To everybody he meets. Strangers and friends alike. Including wedding guests at Will's wedding, and thanks to his dad, Will's big night was ruined. It was the final straw in their relationship.
To people who tinks his father is cute, that's because you have been exposed to his stories for two hours. not a lifetime.
The only beautiful part is when Will finally accepts his father for what he is...a droner.
please add:
Ppl who shld stay away are those who simply can't stand manipulative films which purports to be thought-provoking and inspirational.
droner : someone who drones on and on...
dua-kang : hokkien lingo for big hole, usually meant big, fanciful, unbelieavable stories
kia : a dude
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