Big Eyes

good

Big Eyes_720p(480P)

source: Big Eyes

Big Eyes is ALMOST great in many ways. It strongly shows the melancholic underbelly of the pristine looking 1950s suburbia, shooting it with nostalgic beauty. The slice-of-life American-art-history plot is fascinating, and stars Adams and Waltz can more than fill a screen. Unfortunately what does fill the screen is nothing more than a pretty (albeit dull) excuse to clumsily relay facts. The facts revolve around a real-life couple who made millions selling the wife's truly haunting and beautiful artwork. The catch: they've convinced everyone in this male-dominant society that the husband is actually the artist. The details that flow from this bizarre true story are not without compelling moments, and the "Big Eye" paintings really are a thing to behold. Sadly, the film doesn't have much to say about its subject, settling for heavy-handed misogyny claims and ham-fisted editing rather than having its own view-point. Another shame is the waste of some great talent. No one plays a more charismatic worm than Waltz (Inglourious Basterds), and Adams always paints her characters with complexity and intrigue. Otherwise, the performances are pretty lacking, with even Adams and Waltz struggling to create any real chemistry with each other or the script. Of course with dialogue this flat and lifeless, it's really no surprise the actors struggled. Normally, Burton's strength is his surrealism. In one scene, Adams' character's world starts to meld with her art, and the film actually comes alive for a minute...but then they drop this style altogether. Big Eyes needs more of Burton's signature quirk and flair, and LESS of the confused tone, to be a film worth a look.

You can learn a lot about a person based on the things that they put on their walls. Guys like me who have movie poster can be identified as obvious film geeks. Those that fill their walls with classical art tend to be prim and proper, even if what they own are copies. Those that have sports imagery tend to be more aggressive and a tad more ambitious with their plans. Those that choose to place nothing on their walls are minimalist and value their own lives over the thoughts of others. The art that one ones not only tells a thousand words in the picture, but it says millions about the owner. Going on the subject of classical, those that are not of higher class at least want to be seen as classy. Hence those that can't afford true art will buy posters. Once such poster that filled plenty of homes were the "Big Eyes" paintings that Margaret Keane produced. Distinct by the dark imagery of children with oversize pupils, this is a rare form of art that is both challenging yet simple enough that even non art fans can perceive this as "interesting" looking. Big Eyes gives us a different perspective of the artist behind the brush. In 1958, Margaret Hawkins (played by Amy Adams) left her first husband, taking her child Jane with her, and moving to San Francisco where she hopes she can become a true artist. She uses her painting skills to get a job at a furniture design store while she paints caricatures on the weekends at art fairs. She's set up next to another artist Walter Keane (played by Christoph Waltz) who see's that her work as fascinating. In order to prevent Jane from being taken away, she agrees to marry Walter and she's pretty swoon by his charming, salesman-like attitude. A misunderstanding at a nightclub causes Walter to claim one of Margret's paintings as his own. At first she's mad by this, but when her husband convinces her that the art would sale better if the public knew that a man painted the "Big Eyes", she agrees to go along with the charade. Walter becomes a celebrity by the public as a genus and manages to sell more posters of the "Big Eyes" then of the art. The pressure persuades Margaret to eventually divorce him and even try to get her credit back, but of course have to challenge Walter on his insistence that the "Big Eyes" are his. What people are not going to guess out of Big Eyes is that Tim Burton directed it. It seems odd because the story is too human for an artsy guy like him (even though he also directed another great biopic, Ed Wood). But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that Tim Burton really knew what he was doing for this. Sure, Big Eyes doesn't have the traditional German Expressionism that Burton is more established with, but he does have an eye for giving the past a postcard look to it. San Francisco and Hawaii look really nice here. I can tell that what attracted Amy Adams to this story is that Big Eyes is a feminist movie. It addresses the trouble of the position women were in and how the public perceived that Margaret could have not been talented enough to paint these images. She's really likable as you want to she her prove justice to her art. Christoph Waltz is just perfect here, playing the scumbag con artist that Walter Keane probably was. These two make a good team in a story about art that should appeal to most people. I'll give this ten "Big Eyes" paintings out of ten. Even those that are not into art will probably enjoy this movie as it's more about the painter then the paintings. It's really a story about a strange marriage and claiming ones right to their work. If you can, open your own big eyes to such a great film.

I like Tim Burton, but this is just unlikable film. I felt badly for Keane and found myself wishing he'd just kill his wife throughout entire movie. The Keane's wife is one of the least likable,low morality, no charisma characters I've ever seen. Trumped only perhaps by character of her daughter. Script reads as if it was written by a man hating feminazi. I am not familiar with 'true story' behind this, as I'm not into kitch like this'art', had to actually Google Margaret Keane to to see what supposedly real story is all about. There is just no grounds on which i could ever recommend this film to anyone. Its shocking that its Tim Burton ... just wow.

The movie is beautiful and Amy Adams is brilliant in her portrayal of Margaret Keane. She should get an Oscars for this. I was entertained, holding off going to the bathroom because each scene in the movie is important part so I'd understand the next one on why behaviors are like that. No boring scene for me. The movie is funny and light it makes you feel good after leaving the theater. Almost a feel-good movie only it's drama in category and a little on human psychology. The story is interesting, the conflict is more of a moral one. If you're a person with no integrity and honesty is not a cup of your tea, you might find this lame and you won't find the conflict enough for the pay off at the end. Enjoyable, definitely one for renting or blue-ray collection. Amy Adams is the best part here though. I think.

Was "Big Eyes" really supposed to be a story based on "real" events about "real" people?? 'Cause if this was the case, I couldn't quite decide which one of these so-called "real" people, in this poorly-conceived tale of fraud, treachery (and an inevitable lawsuit), was the biggest jackass of the lot. Like, was the "biggest-jackass-of-all" the loud, scheming, braggart, Walter Keane? - or - Was it, in fact, Margaret Keane, Walter's mousy, airhead wife? Well, for starters - If you were to ask me - Not only would I say that these 2 total jackasses (Walter & Margaret) totally deserved each other - But, it was, indeed, Margaret who rated, in my books, as the biggest jackass of these 2 less-than-adorable dorks. Anyway - After carefully considering all sides of "Big Eyes" story, I've come to the conclusion that because it was Margaret who (for 10 years) accepted, without so much as a squeak, the completely crooked arrangement that Walter imposed upon her (in regards to her artwork), then, it was she who was, undoubtedly, the biggest and dumbest ditz of them all.

Based on a true story, brrr... Burton ventures into the realm of TV movie land (that's where most true story movies dwell) although this was a limited cinematic release and also limited success. Amy Adams plays a painter who paints children with Big Eyes. She meets and marries Waltz who shortly after begins to take credit for her work. Adams is cast well as the good virtuous woman and Waltz is a bit type-cast as the friendly but guy-you-love-to-hate-and-wanna-punch-in-the-face bad guy. But he plays it big and sometimes a bit comedic which makes the tone of the film lighter. Big Eyes has a very colorful set- and production design and looks great. The movie itself tough feels like it could have been made by any other director and doesn't have the Burton feel. So you could say it's the least Burton-esque film in his repertoire. Seeing it in the cinemas won't add much value, it's more a nice Sunday afternoon flick that works just as well on your small screen.