The Cover

Tim Burton has never been known to make movies that have a deep, emotional core; rather, he relies more on stylistic flourishes, mood and atmosphere to tell his tale. What I really want to know is where is the emotional core of Tim Burton lies, or barring that, if he has one at all. That's not to say that I don't enjoy his movies, because I very much do. But I'd love to see if Burton could do a film where the dark whimsy and creatures don't overwhelm the story (or even come into the picture.)

Big Fish is his first major attempt to at least begin to tell a story that resonates with humanity. Sure, there are some sections that are more reminiscent of a magical carnival of wonders, but one thing is always at the core: love and family. The old man's life is framed by these tall tales, surely events that could never have happened, but that's not really the point. The point is that the tales tell more about the storyteller than anything in the stories themselves.

As always, Billy Crudup is great, and has officially moved into my favorite actors list. Even in something as wildly uneven as this, he's perfect and rides the emotional edge between humor and sadness. Also of note is Allison Lohman, who not only looks like a young Jessica Lange, but is completely believable as the kind of girl that somebody would fall for in an instant. As for McGregor and Finney, their roles are too exaggerated to get any kind of gauge on the emotional truth of their acting.

Which brings me to the real problem of the movie: every scene but those involving Billy Crudup and Albert Finney's father / son relationship, falls flat to a certain degree. Those interactions sparkle, they hurt, and they make you feel. In a way, I wish I could see more of that sadness and longing that fills the last 15 minutes of the movie. That's where the emotional truth is found. Not in some big fish tale, but real life and love.

Movie Grade: B

Video: 4 out of 5
The video on this disc is beautiful, although a bit ethereal looking. There's a soft-focus thing going on here, but it's purposely put in place to give the film a nice dream-like quality.
Widescreen Anamorphic - 1.85:1

It's all a little too 'Stepford' for me.

Audio: 4 out of 5
It's not exactly action packed, but it is filled with the usual good work of Danny Elfman.
English (Dolby Digital 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround)

Extras: 4 out of 5
Granted, the extras are basically glorified press-kit crap, but there are a lot of them and there are some legitimately interesting pieces. The best is an interview with the author of the book and screenwriter John August. It's always nice to hear from the writers. Of the rest of the material, about 45 minutes is of the non-repeating, non-film clip variety (there is a lot of padding in there.) There's also a commentary with Tim Burton, who I have bemoaned listening to in the past, he's just not an engaging speaker. But this time, he's being interviewed, which is a magnificent way to keep things moving and interesting. I call for this to be standard for directors that are hard to listen to (Chris Nolan, are you listening?)

Overall: 4 out of 5
Despite my reservation with aspects of the film, Big Fish a completely engaging experience with an emotional center. Highly recommended for Burton fans, and those who love whimsical filmmaking.

Buy Big Fish and Support Lights Out Films