Big Eyes (2014): Movie Review

Being an artist is no easy task, it takes time, preparation and a lot of imagination which sometimes feels blocked for unknown reason. Recently I found out the cure to the block, is to keep on writing, keep on drawing, keep doing what you’re doing and eventually it will lead to something. Art is personal, it comes from deep inside you. It is something that comes naturally like the current in the stream, like the beat of your heart, and once you have it you can’t let it slip away from your reach. You need to take care of it like a small flower bud, nourishing it and giving it love. Sometimes society takes for granted the job of an artist, were not given enough credit and sometimes scammed from our talents. The copyright and ownership issues don’t make it any easier. Many people work hard to create something to then have someone else come along and claim it as their own. The biggest offense you can make to an artist is to strip them from their work, of the heart and soul they put into their creations as if they were meaningless

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This is what happens in this Tim Burton film, which I had heard of but completely forgot the name. Thankfully I found it and truly enjoyed it. What I love about it is how colorful it is, how even though it’s not like any of Burton’s previous works, he made it work and in a way reminded me just a little bit of Edward Scissorhands but only because of the time period where the story takes place, also how this was based on the true story of artist Margaret Keane; who is thought to be the mother of ”big-eye art”.

The story of how she was stripped of recognition for her art and how she had to cover up the lie she helped create for many years. But she did it to save herself and her daughter Jane, to be able to be together, to prove that she was able to be a fit parent for her child. Unfortunately that came with a price. The story begins with Margaret (Amy Adams)  fleeding from her home with her daughter Jane to California for a new start. She applies for a job at a furniture company after showing how she had studied art and regardless of being a single mother. She also tries to make portraits for people at a local park, but they don’t pay her well. One day she meets a man named Walter Keane (Christoph Waltz), he tries to show her how to sell her art. He paints Parisian street art, studied at a prestigious art school in Paris for a long time before coming to America. They start going out, but once Margaret receives a letter from the state claiming her ex husband wants to take her daughter away, Walter proposes in order to help her out. They elope in Hawaii and later on try to sell their art. After their paintings are rejected at a prestigious high-class art gallery, Walter rents out the walls of a night club to exhibit their art. Sadly by having the same last name, some people mistake Walter for being the artist of the big eye paintings and instead of correcting their mistake he keeps on taking credit for it. When Margaret realizes this she becomes upset, but then decides to let Walter take credit since people don’t buy ”lady art” and wouldn’t take her seriously. As time goes by things don’t change for the better, Margaret slaves away making paintings while Walter is the one taking all the fame and glory for them, she barely speaks to her friends, her guilt for participating in the lies grows stronger almost affecting her sanity at times, and even lies to Jane about it (which is pretty dumb in a way, since a lot of Margaret’s previous work before meeting Walter was modeled after Jane, she even had to pose for her mother’s portraits. So Jane would know the truth or at least feel it, cause kids are pretty smart but that’s just me). One day, while searching for a white canvas to paint on, Margaret stumbles upon some Parisian streets paintings that look a lot like Walter’s but are signed by a different artist. When she confronts Walter about this he denies it in the beginning claiming that was his old artist name, then Margaret realizes she has never actually seen Walter paint anything it had all been an illusion. He claims he had always wanted to be an artist but that he never had the talent; this all causes things to be cold between them. He then tries to blackmail Margaret into painting something to put on display at the New York World’s Fair or else he would hire someone to ”have her whacked”. Then Jane reveals that she always knew her mom was the real artist (no way! who would’ve known?). After a big conflict due to Margarets display painting for the World’s Fair between Walter and a senior art critic (Terence Stamp), Walter takes it out on Margaret and Jane which leads them to run away to Hawaii. Things seem to be calm for a while, until Walter manages to contact Margaret to blackmail her once more. The conditions were if she wanted to divorce him she had to give him all the rights to every big eye painting created and needed 100 more paintings as well. After joining Jehova’s witnesses, Margaret decides to be honest and goes to a local radio station to admit that she was the real creator of the big-eye paintings. Walter fights back by talking to reporter Dick Nolan (Danny Huston), saying that Margaret has gone crazy and that she’s lying. Margaret then decides to sue Walter and the news papers for libel and slander. The trial takes place in Honolulu, Hawaii, they dismiss the claims for libel towards the papers since Margaret had actually collaborated to the claims of Walter being the artist. So Walter is left to defend himself and he fails miserably, after going on and on about his fame and walking around the court room the judge decides there’s only one way to settle this problem: to paint. The court offers Walter and Margaret some art supplies and gives them one hour to paint. Margaret manages to do this with no problem, while Walter fiddles with his equipment staring at a blank canvas and then lying about having a bad shoulder that prevented him from painting. In the end Margaret finishes her painting and wins the trial.

This was a great movie, even watched it with my mother and she loved it as well you could tell she was living it because she really felt sad for Margaret and was so happy when she won the trial. They had a great cast, I mean Amy Adams was lovely and Christoph Waltz really knew how to play a charming villain, if an actor playing a villain manages to make you hate him then he’s doing a good job. Tim Burton did a great job in this movie, I applaud him for this movie. It has beautiful colors, great cinematography, I liked how everything really did feel like the 1950s-1960s , also the contrast between Margaret’s work in the art world, made me really mad how women had to depend so much on having a husband to be able to work and make a name for yourself, and liked how they made the situation more complex and less cliché than similar stories I’ve heard of spouse abuse. I really want a big eye portrait of myself honestly. For a few minutes after this movie I started drawing a bit, but then gave up because I’m terrible. Yet who knows maybe I can create my own masterpiece one day.

Thank God we live in the 21st century were women are slowly making their way in the world, they don’t need a man to be somebody. Don’t let anyone take advantage of your talents, work hard, find someone to support and orientate you, but always remain true to yourself and your work. If you fueled threatened by someone, get out of there and get help, don’t help the lies become bigger than they are. Be proud of your talents, work for them, you can do it and you can get success out of doing what you love. Good luck!

Hope you enjoyed this review!

I rate this movie 10/5 big eyes.