Movie Review on the “Big Fish”
The film “Big Fish” is a movie based on the novel by Daniel Wallace. It is a drama, fantasy and comedy rolled into one by Director Tim Burton. It stars Billy Crudup as William Bloom, the son and Albert Finney as Edward Bloom, the father. The story is about a son who visits his dying father for the last time. It is about a son’s search for the truth about his father’s life.
Although the film mirrors a real world relationship of a father and a son, it is engulfed with several interesting exaggerations and astonishing happenings. Examples of these are stories about werewolves, witches and giants. There are a lot of weird scenes in the movie like the part where a pair of Siamese twins are shown, with two torsos and one set of legs. One also finds the scene where Edward is trapped inside his car, which is submerged under water and then suddenly a naked woman is shown swimming around him. The relevance of this particular scene is not clear.
One thinks that the value of this film is the effectiveness of the director in highlighting the poignant scenes between father and son by interweaving it with the funny scenes in the movie. Because of the numerous wacky scenes in the movie, the audience is somehow taken aback at the heartwarming ending which is a real tearjerker. The drama is not lost among the visual fantasies presented in the movie, but rather, it emphasizes further the message that the director wants to convey to his audience.
Notable performances by the main characters of the movie contribute to the relevance of this film. Albert Finney’s execution of his role as Edward Bloom is very appropriate. Billy Crudup is not to be outdone in his exemplary performance as Will Bloom.
The “Big Fish” has a soundtrack which is a combination of new rock and classic pop. The songs included in the movie are appropriate to the setting of the film. The musical accompaniment in the movie is satisfactory.
One admires the cinematography of the movie especially the part where Ed Bloom is shown with Sandra amidst a backdrop of a field of daffodils. The flowers in the background evoke the emotions felt by the characters in the scene. It is a perfect scene which shouts of romanticism and love. Another perfect amorous scene in the movie is when the starry-eyed Ed seems to have been smitten by the lovely Sandra at the circus.
The title of the movie the “Big Fish” pertains to Ed Bloom who believes that there is something larger that awaits him rather than staying in a small town in Alabama. That town is the “fish bowl” which Ed leaves to realize his dreams. His dreams are reflected in the tall tales that he recounts to his son Will.
Overall, one thinks that the movie is entertaining and at the same time has an important message which it wants to impart to its viewers. For moviegoers who want to have a respite from heavy drama and action films, this is the film to watch. But for those audiences who do not want fantasy and make-believe movies, one should stay away from this film because of its out-of-this world scenes which are so unreal. Children who have a distant relationship with their parents may want to watch this film and gain some inspiration from it and try to connect with their mothers or fathers before it’s too late.
