Big Fish

Tim Burton's "Big Fish" is wonderful fun. It makes full use of Burton's fantabulist storytelling, but yoked to characters and a storyline that carry more emotional heft than you'd expect from a Burton film.

I love it that Albert Finney's tall tales, at least the early ones, have a quasi-biblical take to them--the big fish is relative to Jonah's whale, McGregor vs. the giant recalls David vs. Goliath (and in fact McGregor tosses a rock at his chest), the snake swimming towards the beautiful blonde nude evokes Eden, the same snake turning into a stick reminds us of Moses' showman side.

Also love it that for such a fantastical film (it's what "Forrest Gump" aspires to, only without the sticky sentimentality) Burton takes it easy on the CGI effects--there are a few, but they're not done in a way that looks like your usual CGI, and thankfully, there are no roller-coaster POV shots, like the kind done to death in the Matrix and Star Wars sequels.

And Billy Crudup's feelings towards his father--it's the first time in a long time I've believed in this kind of relationship so strongly (even if son-reconciles-with-estranged-father is one of the oldest storylines in showbiz). I know how it feels like to realize you've been lied to for years, by someone you trusted and believed in. The sense of betrayal, the hate, is very palpable.