A Scientist at the Movies Reviews by Greg Paris

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Title: Big Fish

Date Viewed: 1/11/04

Details:

Albert Finney

Jessica Lange

Ewan McGregor

Billy Crudup

Helena Bonham Carter

Alison Lohman

Steve Buscemi

Danny DeVito

Director: Tim Burton

Score: Danny Elfman

Score: +

The Review: Imagine Tim Burton going mainstream, sort of.

As a father (Finney) is bedridden with illness, his estranged son (Crudup) -- distanced from his father by decades of myth and tales -- slowly achieves some understanding of what his father has been, done and dreamed. A bit of melodrama, a bit of fantasy, a bit of reality -- but which bit is which? This continuing puzzle grabs the viewer and pulls them through the twisty mazes of storytelling (with McGregor as the younger Finney), the wonders of past times, and family angst.

This is a good film, but I'm not quite sure why. It is a quiet drama with some interesting characters, and shares with Secondhand Lions the subroutines and ambiguities of fable ("is it or isn't it?") as an integral part of the characterization. There are lots of little ponds and great rivers, and this modest film gives an eloquent tour of a few.

(11-Jan-04)

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