Tim Burton is one of the most distinctive and prolific filmmakers of our time. With "Big Fish" he accomplishes a near poetic epic story of Ed Bloom, a colorful character who spins tales larger than life.

In typical Burton-esque fashion, everything is amplified. Tim is notorious for shading his worlds either really dark and dreary (Beetlejuice, Nightmare Before Christmas) to very bright and somewhat warped in its idealism (Edward Scissorhands, Pee Wee's Big Adventure).

The latter is definitely the case with "Big Fish", as Ed Bloom (Albert Finney) recants his past on his deathbed.

Son Will (Billy Crudup) has had his fill of dad's tall tales, and finds them a barrier between the man and the myth. As their time together grows ever shorter, Will's frustration becomes a quest to find out what was real and what wasn't.

Young Ed (played by Ewan MacGregor), embarks on a fantastic journey that leads him through lands of giants, circus freaks and witches, each tale decidedly more embellished than the last. When Will discovers he has a past with the young and tempting Jenny (Helena Bonham Carter), he questions his father's devotion to his beloved wife, Sandra (played both by Alison Lohman and Jessica Lange).

It's through Will's determination to figure out what was man and what was legend that he learns the truth about his father - good or ill. And when his father ails, the most touching scene in the movie is when Will speaks to his father in a language that his "Big Fish" father can appreciate.

Ultimately, Will discovers that each story had its roots in the believable, and his father's personality was truly legendary to those whose lives he touched.

Screenwriter John August wove together a beautiful fairy tale that Tim Burton brought to life as only he could. We are sucked into this world and put under the spell of a story that, as the tagline says, is an adventure bigger than life itself.

It is a true testament to the art of storyelling. "Big Fish" celebrates with flourish how we relate to each other and even touch upon mortality in the tales of our own lives, and the colorful way which we choose to share them.

If you ever wondered how to become a legend in your own life, this is definitely the movie for you.

A

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