Big Fish

Tim Burton, USA, 2003, 125 minutes

Tall tales. They're a part of every childhood, and Ed Bloom (Albert Finney) is the father who can deliver such stories. When son Will Bloom (Billy Crudup) returns home from Paris as his father is dying of cancer, he's grown up and not interested in the stories (for adults, this word is read as 'lies') his father tells. Nevertheless, Ed has one last story to tell, and it's full of the magic that such tales contain. Charting the story of Ed's young life (played by Ewan McGregor), truth and fantasy are intertwined, and Will Bloom sets out on a trip to uncover how much of it is 'real'. The story is a journey for both dying father and suffering son, who need to bond after decades of silence between them.

Another offering from emotional movie maestro Tim Burton, it's difficult to even write about the movie without welling up. This movie had me on the verge of sobbing like a baby in the cinema, and I haven't watched it again for fear of it putting me over the edge. Such sensitive covering of the issues of death and bereavment are almost impossible to find, and this film is possibly one of best exponents of these themes in all of the media. Beautifully shot in vivid colour (a Burton trademark) and brilliantly written, this movie is charming, emotive and uplifting, with excellent performances. A must see of 2003 cinema; if it doesn't move you, you must have missed childhood. Come along and bring something to wipe your eyes free of tears.

Review by Niko Ovenden
Written for EUFS Programme Autumn 2005