When you were younger, did you ever hear a story that you knew was false, but believed it anyway. Such were the tales that Edward Bloom (Albert Finney) told of his life. In Tim Burton’s new movie Big Fish, Will Bloom (Billy Crudup), Edward’s son, is determined to find out the truth about his father’s life, instead of the false tales that he has grown up with. Will is about to have a child of his own and feels that he can’t properly raise his kid without reconciling his relationship with his own father.
With this premise, the movie is centered on Edward telling various characters the story of his youth. Each piece of the Edward Bloom puzzle was brought to life with loads of colorful characters and vivid environments, featuring Ewan McGregor as young Bloom. Although most parts of these stories seem plausible enough, there are always a few details which seem to be totally fictional. Whether it be dancing Siamese twins joined at the hip, or mermaids and werewolves, each of Bloom’s adventures show that he is indeed a big fish in a small pond.
Not only did the movie have a great story with a successful director, it had some big name actors, who performed very well. To be honest, when I first realized that Ewan McGregor would be on the screen quite often, I was scared that I would be constantly reminded of light sabers and bad lines. McGregor surprised me and jumped into the role of young Edward Bloom without hesitation. Another large name was Danny DeVito who played Amos Calloway, a circus ringmaster who holds the key to Bloom’s love life. Other noteworthy actors are Steve Buscemi and Helena Bonham Carter who both bring a lot to the movie.
When the movie ended, and most of the 40-plus year old audience left in tears, I was left in a state of confusion. I was not confused about the ending of the movie, quite the contrary, the ending is very straight forward, surprising, and inspiring. I was left confused about life. This film brings up many large questions at its ending; however, it makes you feel confident that you will find the answers to the questions in time.
