Well, today is Ewan McGregor's birthday, according to IMDB.com, so as a birthday gift to the talented Mr. McGregor, I thought I would review maybe my favorite film that he appears in, "Big Fish".
Big Fish is a 2003 movie directed by the ever-creative Tim Burton. It tells the story of a young man, played by Billy Crudup, who has never really been able to connect with his father due to the wild tall tales the older man claims he lived through. His father, played by an eccentrically, wonderful Albert Finney, is now on his death bed. Desperate to understand his father's life before he dies, the film follows the son going back over his father's various stories one last time. The movie then shows the viewer the tall tales with McGregor as the younger version of Finney. We see the father's version of his life as the son attempts to discover the truth behind the fairy tale.
This movie has a lot of heart, and the typically wild Burton imagination that make it a pleasure to watch. Cameos from such fine character actors as Steve Buscemi, Danny DeVito, and Helena Bonham Carter (Burton's wife for those of you who don't know), populate the film with interesting people as we, along with Crudup, try to discern where the fantasy ends and real life begins. The real heart of this film however lies along the father - son relationship, and despite some moments that are mildly difficult to swallow, overall it is very well done. A special commendation for Ewan McGregor as he plays a role that is mostly fantasy right to the hilt and makes us believe in this larger than life character, which is all the more important as we see Finney on his death bed.
A great family movie that ponders the importance of family, the fleeting nature of truth, and the immense amount of pleasure that can be found in fiction. Definitely one you should rent.
24/30
I am a big fan of this movie, I think you summed it up perfectly and I like the 24. (Twinney-fo) I think the thing that i remember most about this is how warm it made me feel and it was so creative how the characters tied together. Sorta want to watch it again now
ReplyDeletethanks dan, I agree completely about the connections between the characters. Despite the tremendous amounts of fantasy, it manages to keep the relationships in the film very real, even during the flashbacks.
ReplyDelete