Big Fish [PG]

Will Bloom has not spoken to his father for three years. For years he has felt that he and his father have nothing to talk about, no common ground, and he sees nothing of himself in him. But now his father is dying and Will journeys home with his wife Josephine to be there in his father’s final moments. Whilst at home, Will attempts to separate the facts from the fiction surrounding his father’s life and in the process he discovers that, sometimes, fantasies are not that far from truth.

So here I am, smiling blissfully with my face massively tear-streaked, marvelling at one of the most beautiful films of all time! It greatly saddens me that this film does not make it into The Book, because I believe that it is Tim Burton’s finest work and critics have hailed it to be so a well; his best work since Edward Scissorhands. Big Fish, one of my top ten favourite films of all time, is a perfectly balanced film that harbours absolutely something for everyone. IT’S AN ABSOLUTE DREAM AND I LOVE IT WITH ALL MY HEART!

Will Bloom has not spoken to his father for three years. For years, he has felt that he and his father have nothing to talk about, no common ground, and he sees nothing of himself in him. But now his father is dying and Will journeys home with his wife Josephine to be there in his father’s final moments. Whilst at home, Will attempts to separate the facts from the fiction surrounding his father’s life and his discovers that, sometimes, fantasies are not all that far from truth.

What is particularly striking about this film, for me, is that it’s a film by Tim Burton, but it is very un-Tim-Burton. It has to be said that Tim Burton’s style of film has becomes something of a stereotype; whenever you say “it’s a Tim Burton film”, gothic images of twisted trees and pale people pop into your mind. But Big Fish is very light, has a few typical Burton-esque quirks about it, but is ultimately a very light and beautiful film.
The use of light and colour is something to be commented on because it is such a step away from the dark and grim settings that Burton tends to favour. The use of light and colour gives the film the feel of an age-old, feel-good fable that enchants and enlightens its audience.
The other thing that I really love about this movie is the story. Not dissimilar to Pan’s Labyrinth, in Big Fish we are given two stories; one boring reality and the other, a vibrant and enchanting fantasy, each one subtly coinciding and harbouring more truths than meets the eye. It’s wonderful to have a story like that because it just lets you float along with it, making you laugh and cry along the way.
To be honest, this movie is a very feeling and reflective one; watching it does make you feel as though you’re a fish calm and afloat in a great lake; no cares, no worries, just cool contentedness. It’s impossible to describe the magic of this film, WATCH IT! FOR THE LOVE OF EVERYTHING SACRED, WATCH IT! 
Not to mention, the real clincher is the all-star cast that this film boasts. Starring Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney, Billy Crudup, Jessica Lange, Marion Cotillard, Helena Bonham Carter, Alison Lohman, Robert Guillaume, Matthew McGrory, Missi Pyle, Steve Buscemi, Deep Roy, Danny DeVito, Big Fish is a visually stunning and mesmerising film that’s filled with fantasy, stories, drama, romance, and comedy, IT’S ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL AND I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU WATCH IT!