Director, Tim Burton redeems himself in his first film since the fiasco remake of Planet of the Apes (2001) with Big Fish, starring Ewan McGregor and Albert Finney, respectively as the young and old Edward Bloom; a teller of tall tales and often absent father to his son, William, played by Billy Crudup. Big Fish is a whale of a tale, (sorry, I just couldn’t resist saying it) as we follow the unusually adventurous life and death of Edward Bloom. Returning to the things he knows how to do best, Burton spins tales within stories and inspires the imagination of his audience’

Edward Bloom is a compulsive liar, but certainly the sort one finds more entertaining than anything else. He’s a likable man which had brought him relative success as a traveling salesman. From an early age his son hears his father tell stories that after about the zillionth time, for him, have lost their charm. As a grown man and soon to be father himself, he desires nothing more than to find out who his father really is before he dies. Called to the bedside of his dad, William pleas with his father to simply tell the truth for once in his life, but the stories he weaves are the only truth that his father cares to reveal.

As the film unfolds we are privileged to learn about the most amazing life of Edward Bloom as director, Tim Butron creates that similar magical and surrealistic fairytale world that charmed audiences in his 1990 film, Edward Scissorhands. Burton also makes reference to that movie as we learn that Edward Bloom had earned his living as a salesman of a mechanical looking hand that looks as if it were a prop from his previous work. Danny Elfman again provides an amazing soundtrack were the music carries us through like a magic carpet. As usual, the cinematography is a visual delight and I strongly recommend you see this one on the big screen and not wait for the DVD/Video release. It makes the most of the larger than life projected images and the acoustics of Dolby digital surround sound that only a movie theater can provide.

It’s a beautifully told story and all emotional stops are pulled out as Burton has his audience breaking out in tears by the end. Yes, I too had to break out the tissues. At the same time it’s a wonderfully funny film with terrific performances by a cast including Danny DeVito, Helena Bonham Carter, Jessica Lange and Steve Buscemi, among others.

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