Sam's Blog - Big Eyes

"Look at that child! She's so sad."
"Is she poor?"
"She's forgotten."

It is only a brief moment of the film, but this conversation encapsulates the message of BIG EYES quite nicely. Everyone wants to make their mark on the world, and even those who have the skill to do so still have some anxiety about their image... And those who don't have the skill still have that desire, that drive to be remembered. So what happens when a skilled painter marries a skilled talker who wishes he was a skilled painter?

Enter Margaret Doris Hawkins (Amy Adams). Margaret loves to paint -- specifically, she likes to paint women and children, all with oversized eyes. She sees eyes as the windows to the soul. After leaving her first husband and trying to build a life for herself and her child, Jane (Delaney Raye, and later played by Madeleine Arthur), Margaret begins to realize that just because she has talent with a paintbrush doesn't mean she will be able to make a living off of it. That is, until she meets Walter Keane (Christoph Waltz). After a whirlwind romance that rivals lightning in its speed, the couple marry and begin trying to sell their art in local galleries; but Walter begins to take credit for Margaret's paintings, saying that no one will buy a woman's work. Margaret reluctantly acquiesces to her husband's fraud, recognizing the profit they're making, but as her art gets more and more popular, and the art world resists (they do not see the waifs of her paintings fit as "art", no matter how popular they may be), Margaret becomes more and more uncomfortable with the arrangement.

What makes this story even more incredible is that it is true. It follows, with minor changes, the actual story of Margaret Keane, whose artwork continued in popularity well into the 70's, and is even fairly popular today. Such a life fits perfectly on the big screen, especially with the same writers of ED WOOD (Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski) crafting the story and Tim Burton helming the project.

But given this line up of filmmakers, what you get is not exactly what you'd expect. Tonally, the film is a bit confusing at times. Other than Walter's odd charisma and a few disjointed moments in which Burton's bizarre, zany personality peeks through, the story is much more straightforward than his previous works. Take this as you will... it is interesting to see a more grounded piece from Tim Burton, but not as interesting as it would have been to see his trademark style in full reign. That being said, it's not a bad film... the story is empowering and brings about its own charm, bringing forth a feminist story from the grasp of the 60's. And the solid cast is sure to keep your attention. Christoph Waltz has a knack for playing the cheerful villain, and though it's not one of her best performances, Amy Adams makes it her own.

Ultimately, BIG EYES is a good film, but nothing to get overly excited about. Still, I enjoyed it... perhaps it will follow Margaret Keane's work, not quite on par with other films in theaters, but certainly a popular film to watch. Now playing at the Midtown Cinema!