#95: BIG EYES

#95: BIG EYES

Starring Amy Adams, Christoph Waltz and Danny Huston. Written by Scott Alexander, Larry Karaszewski and directed by Tim Burton. 106 minutes long.

Telling the married life of big-eye artist, Margaret Keane and her husband, Walter Keane from her walking out on her first husband in 1958, with her daughter, to her later marriage to serial liar, Walter Keane who being an expert at marketing and selling turned his wife into a household name, even if it was his name.

This is the first 'serious' film, Tim Burton has made since Mars Attacks back in 1996 and hopefully sees the one time visionary stake a massive iron circus tent peg through the hearts of Planet of the Apes, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Sweeney Todd, Alice and Wonderland and Dark Shadows.

Ditching one-note wonder Johnny Depp and the glitz and CGI razzamatazz for Amy Adams and Christoph Waltz. This is a small intimate portrait of a naive young woman struggling to free herself from her domineering husband and reclaim her voice and her art. Burton frames every outdoor shot like a painted landscape and fills the screen with gorgeous 60's period detail. With a supporting cast that includes Terrance Stamp, Jason Schwartman and Krysten Ritter, Big Eyes is an entertaining and enjoyable flick but with no real major highs the film just rolls along until the 3rd act and the famous court room drama that was to see husband Keane and wife Keane clash for the right to claim credit for the big eyed children that made them incredibly wealthy. Apart from that it's a slow, gentle trawl through a series of vignettes that sign post the rise of Margaret's star but you're left wishing you could have had more insight into Margaret's life.

7/10