Wokie, this is another one of those kill-two-birds-with-one-stone thingie. Although you might note that I am strongly against killing or stoning any bird just for fun. I'd consider that for some idiots who mess with me. Just kidding. Haha!
Anyways, yeah - it's about a DVD I just watched. It's entitled Big Fish and it's by Tim Burton. Although I don't particularly like his version of Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, a book I love, Big Fish has left me with a new fascination for the director and his wonderful storytelling. This film was released in 2003 (can't remember if it was screened here in Singapore) and it was based on a novel by Daniel Wallace.
To me, the heartwarming story tells a simple tale of choice. We can all choose to live life as normal as possible, or we can choose to give it all we've got at that moment to bring happiness to everyone, including ourselves.
In one of the first scenes in the film, Edward Bloom told his young son before bedtime, of how he and his friends, when they were young, ventured into the forest and came face to face with a witch with a glass eye that can tell someone of how exactly they were going to die. So, instead of a simple bedtime story read from a book, the young boy learnt of adventures his father had - something that fascinated the boy and made them closer together but eventually, the boy grew up wandering if all his father did was tell tall tales all his life and it embarrased him. So, on his wedding day, he told his father off and they did not speak for three years. Only when his father turned very sick and was about to die, did the young Will Bloom realise why his father had been that way and only during the funeral did everything became clear to him. The almost mystical characters in his father's stories were of actual people whose lives he had actually touched during the course of his life.
Apart from the fact that I've decided that Ewan McGregor is one of my favourite actors of all time, the story made me realise that life will always have its fair share of unfairness, its twists and turns, and everybody gets a dose of that in some points of their lives but Edward Bloom showed that we can all make little sacrifices here and there if it meant making his friends and loved ones feel reassured, comfortable and ultimately, happy. These kind gestures and little sacrifices will one day come round the same way.
It also showed how he treasured life, family and love and in the spirit of the whole story, it was told in such a way that you will happily believe it - because that's how most people would prefer to know it - as interesting and as fascinating as possible. That's how Edward Bloom charmed everybody, except for his own son.
I must say that this film is a must watch for everybody who has not watched it. A dazzling show of wonderful cinematography, smooth as silk story-telling, and your fair share of fairy-tales and humour, it will leave you a feeling of warmth, I assure you.
On a personal note, I would say that I realise that they are people like me, who would rather live life like a fairytale - stay a little boy deep down inside so I won't lose my inner child and be happy and play like one, dream of falling in love in the true sense and experience it like Edward Bloom - time-stops and all, but there are people who don't believe in fairy-tales and miracles. What is important is that we all learn from each other and remember not to forget the fact that despite of adversities, love and smiles are what that will bring us together in the end.
Enjoy... =)
