Since 1990, Tim Burton has been my favorite director (that was the year that his masterpiece, "Edward Scissorhands," came out). I've seen every single one of his feature films, and the only one I didn't like was his 2001 release, the remake of "Planet of the Apes." That film was completely devoid of passion, it seemed to be the film Tim Burton made purely for money. I could be wrong, but that's what it seemed like. It was the least "Burtonesque" of his films. With "Big Fish," I'm happy to say that Tim Burton is back to his usual self, though it seems like he's lightened up a bit.
"Big Fish" is Tim Burton's first real shot at winning an Oscar for Best Director (though I think he'll lose to Peter Jackson for "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King"), and it's easy to see why. It has all the ingredients for an Oscar-type film, he did a hell of a directing job, and it's also a really entertaining film. I found myself smiling a lot while watching it, it's that kinda movie. Like the great "Amélie," it's a movie you can't watch without smiling.
One of the things that works best in the film is the cast. Most of the film is set in Alabama, so a Southern accent is required. You would think that casting an English guy to play the older version of the main character, and a Scottish guy to play the younger version wouldn't work, but in this case, it works well. Albert Finney plays the older version of "Edward Bloom," and he does a great job with it. He's cantankerous, but likable. The younger version of "Edward Bloom" is played by Ewan McGregor, and he totally throws himself into the role. Then again, if you've seen Ewan McGregor in his other films, you know this is nothing new ("Moulin Rouge" is the best example). This is another great performance by Ewan McGregor, who is one of my favorite actors working today. "Edward Bloom" has a wife in the film, and the older version is played wonderfully by Jessica Lange. The younger version is played by Alison Lohman (from "Matchstick Men" and "White Oleander"). I've heard good things about Alison Lohman's acting, and she does a lot with the little she's given. Playing the son is Billy Crudup (the "guitarist with mystique" in "Almost Famous," a great movie, as long as you see the Director's Cut), and he's excellent in a role that isn't nearly as flashy, nor as exciting. Still, he makes the character totally believable, and despite being the nemesis in the film, he doesn't come across as an asshole. He's simply a guy who feels that he's been lied to by his father most of his life, and he wants some answers. There are also small roles for Danny DeVito, Steve Buscemi, and Tim Burton's current girlfriend, Helena Bonham Carter (in a dual role), and they're all really good. However, the biggest surprise is an actor I've seen a couple of times recently (in "House of 1000 Corpses" and the HBO TV show, "Carnivàle"). Every time I see him, he has no dialogue, and he plays a freak. I'm talking about Matthew McGrory. In "Big Fish," once again, he plays a freakish character, but he finally has some dialogue. He plays a giant named "Karl," and his scenes are, to me, the most memorable. I don't know if it's his acting, the way the character was written, or the sympathy I feel for Matthew McGrory himself (he's 7.5 feet tall, and he has some sorta physical affliction that keeps his head permanently tilted), maybe it's all of the above; but he's what I remember most about the film. The "gentle giant" is a Hollywood cliché, but in this film, it's done better than I've ever seen it done before.
"Big Fish" is based on the novel by Daniel Wallace, and having seen the film, I look forward to reading the book. The novel was adapted into a screenplay by John August (he wrote "Go" and he helped write "Charlie's Angels" and "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle"), and I think he wrote a fantastic screenplay. I haven't read the book yet, so I don't really know how close it is, or if it's even a good adaptation, but the screenplay really is very good, though a little slow at times.
I don't know if Tim Burton will get his Oscar nomination, but this is certainly one of his best films. For some reason, his best movies are the ones where the main character is named "Edward" (the title characters in "Edward Scissorhands" and "Ed Wood," and now "Edward Bloom" in "Big Fish"). This movie may not be as dark and atmospheric as "Sleepy Hollow," nor does it have the twisted fun of "Beetlejuice," but Tim Burton still manages to make "Big Fish" a movie that's worthy of being called "A Tim Burton Film."
"Big Fish" isn't my favorite Tim Burton movie, but it's up there, and it also happens to be the kinda movie Oscar voters love ("Edward Scissorhands" is still my favorite Tim Burton movie, but a movie like that could never win him an Oscar). But even if Tim Burton doesn't win the Oscar (and I honestly don't think he will), "Big Fish" proves that he's got what it takes to make movies that appeals to audiences outside of his quirky fanbase (people like me). Most importantly, he made up for "Planet of the Apes."
Scale of 1-10: 9