Big Eyes may be directed by Tim Burton but rather than being weirdly Burtonesque, it feels more weirdly Wes Andersonesque. Perhaps this impression was heightened by the inclusion of Jason Schwartzman as a snooty art gallery owner, but overall, this is a vivid, colorful, oddball of a movie, made all the more bizarre because it is based on a true story.
We are first introduced to Margaret Ulbrich (Amy Adams) in the 1950s. She has just left her no-good husband and is driving to San Francisco with her young daughter to start a new life. She is an artist who loves to draw pictures of children with big, sad eyes and as she desperately tries to find a job, she sells paintings and caricatures to make some money on the side. While selling caricatures in a park, she meets Walter Keane (Christoph Waltz), a devilishly charming man who takes a shine to Margaret and her artistry. Following a whirlwind romance, the two get married and Margaret starts signing her paintings with the name "Keane." Walter, who can never get anyone to buy his generic paintings of Paris that he paints from his memories of the one week he spent in France, happens to show off some of Margaret's paintings and discovers that there's interest in her work. Ever the showman, he pretends to be the artist, and with his marketing savvy and ability to schmooze, the Keane art empire takes off.
You would have gathered all that plot from the trailer but I was surprised and appalled as the movie progressed to find out just how devious Walter was. His lies grow exponentially and it's quite shocking to realize that you, as an audience member, have been taken in by this man just like Margaret. It is also delightful to cheer for Margaret as she gradually realizes what a corner she has painted herself into (pun intended) and starts to make her way out. Amy Adams is unsurprisingly fantastic and she makes you root for Margaret all the way through this movie. This is a woman who could be frustratingly naive, yet Adams' portrayal, Tim Burton's careful direction, and the thoughtful script by Larry Karaszewski and Scott Alexander help you understand all of her motivations and how she was manipulated into this terrible position. There's a fair amount of social commentary, showcasing how women were told to stick to their proper sphere and be good wives and mothers with no ambitions of their own. Christoph Waltz is a brilliant villain, preening and pompous and buffoonish, yet still hilarious and weirdly credible. He and Adams play wonderfully off each other and it's easy to see how Margaret could have initially fallen for this man, only to then discover his petty lunacy. Perhaps the most startling thing about Big Eyes is how the more outrageous parts of the story are actually taken from real life. This is such a preposterous story that it turns out it just had to be true.
Big Eyes is a fun, entertaining movie that has the ability to genuinely surprise you. It is bizarre and beautiful and chock full of great performances. Amy Adams deservedly won a Golden Globe and while the movie may not win any more awards by virtue of being more of a comedy than a drama, it certainly deserves to be seen with the biggest eyes you have.
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