Big Eyes

Big Eyes

You have seen these posters. Those kids with huge dewy saucer plate eyes on the verge of crying. I always thought it was kitsch, produced in some Philippine sweat shop. But in the 50’s and 60’s Big Eye paintings were considered art; big money art. They were praised by Andy Warhol and collected by Joan Crawford and sold for thousands of dollars. This is the true fantastic story of Walter Keane and his wife Margret. Margret was the artist of the Big Eye paintings but Walter convinced her art made by a man would sell better and he posed as the artist. Walter was a great con man and extremely successful in promoting Big Eye paintings and posters. The story is Margret’s journey from subjugation to liberation.

Christoph Waltz’s acting was a bit over the top. He played the megalomaniac well but his mood swings were abrupt. He is much more effective playing low keyed emotional roles with simmering fury as he did in Inglourious Basterds and Jango Unchained.

Walter was the consummate poser and Waltz captured his persona with a toothy smile and a charming manner. What he lacked in artistic talent he made up in chutzpa. His fabrications of his artistic prowess grew so wild they crushed him. Waltz’s enjoyed riding this emotional roller coaster, and it shows in his performance.

Amy Adams truly inhabited her character. Margret displayed a mix of confidence in her art and at the same time subservience to her husband believing his lies. Her rebellion was slow in coming but when it came she owned it. She was loathsome of herself for letting her husband take the credit for her art. Her liberation is the apex of the movie. Adams plays Margaret with steady confidence, but with a dose of underlying fragility. She always believed in her art.

My favorite cameo appearance was Terence Stamp. He usually plays evil characters with his deep dark eyes and pursed lips. Here he plays the senior art critic for the New York Times; evil personified. His dust up with Waltz was priceless, shedding Keane with his caustic critique.

This movie is a time capsule. The 50’s and 60’s were not so long ago. Some of us even went to the World’s Fair in Flushing Queens (I did). Attitudes towards women back then are foreign today. Posters we think as schlock were considered art. This whole movie is a bit odd. All this fantasy and weirdness is Tim Burton’s hallmark. See it, the ending is great.