Director Tim Burton has a reputation for strange gothic films that has established him as a truly unusual filmmaker, so it comes as a bit of a surprise to see that his latest movie is something a little different and instead of being dark is, on the whole, about as bright and colourful as technicolour.

Ewan McGregor and Albert Finney play Edward Bloom, a storytelling father, at different points in his life.  Big Fish is about Bloom’s tall stories told to his son, Will (Billy Crudup), who has grown up to be disillusioned with his father, feeling that he only knows him through his stories and the real man is a stranger.

Big Fish is about larger-than-life people, the kind of men who is magical in childhood, but can seem a disappointment in adulthood.  Burton wants the audience to leave maturity behind and enter a world where giants, witches, werewolves, conjoined twins and big fish live.  

There are some great performances from Danny DeVito, Helena Bonham-Carter and Steve Buscemi whilst the leads, particularly McGregor, are on sparkling form.  This is the kind of film that the whole family can go to and come out feeling uplifted.  Check your real life at the door and try something a little different the next time you go to the cinema.
(4/5)

Release date: 07 June 2004

Big Fish