A long-standing complaint about the most . . . um, peculiar . . . works of filmmaker Tim Burton has been that they tend to be style over substance, that they often lack the heart, brains and emotion that run through the best cinematic art.
That may be true of most of Burton's films (with the possible exception of "Edward Scissorhands" and "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure").
However, Burton's latest film, "Big Fish," may have the most heart of anything he's done. And that means it could alienate some of his fans; this is the most normal and mainstream movie he's attempted (unless you count the "Planet of the Apes" remake).
Even if he loses the fans of his quirky material, Burton may earn an audience that normally eschews his films. "Big Fish" is sentimental, even a bit treacly, but it's also appealing and full of warmth. And it's probably his best film.
This gentle-but-cheeky fantasy is based on the best-selling novel by Daniel Wallace, which follows a cynical journalist, Will Bloom (Billy Crudup), who is trying to come to terms with his dying father (Albert Finney).
Edward, the senior Bloom, has been a teller of tall tales for much of his life, which is a useful asset for a traveling salesman. But it's made getting to know the real Edward difficult. Now, as Will's about to become a father himself, he's determined to do something about it.
This requires Will's sifting through his father's stories to find nuggets of truth, which are revealed in flashbacks (with Ewan McGregor as the younger Edward). And there are a lot of tales to sift through, about how young Edward was a war hero, a carnival performer — even a bank robber.
The stories also recall how Edward wooed and won the heart of Sandra Templeton (Jessica Lange; in flashback, Alison Lohman).
As should be expected, the film has style to spare. Burton is working with a witty screenplay by John August, and it hits all the right notes.
Crudup is a bit bland. But he's supposed to be. Gradually, we warm to his character, just as Will warms to his father. Largely, though, Crudup takes a back seat to his more impressive co-stars. Finney is as charismatic as ever, and he's nicely matched by Lange. And it's hard to imagine that anyone could come closer to matching Finney than McGregor. (That McGregor looks so much like the younger Finney certainly helps. And Lohman is a ringer for the younger Lange.)
"Big Fish" is rated PG-13 for a couple of scenes of violence (fisticuffs, warfare, an animal attack), scattered use of strong profanity, crude humor and references, fleeting male and female nudity and brief sexual contact. Running time: 110 minutes.
E-MAIL: jeff@desnews.com