Big Eyes

When I found out that Tim Burton was going to join forces with Christoph Waltz and that two songs by my favourite Lana Del Rey were to be featured on the soundtrack, I couldn't wait. In the end, however, I am not happy with Big Eyes. The story wasn't bad, and neither were the performances, but I found it kind of bland, and it definitely could have had more of a bang. Maybe I was expecting too much, and the final product left a mediocre impression on me. One of many biopics that unfortunately doesn't stand out from other films like it, which is a shame considering the director's name, the cast and the premise. (15/05/2015)

This film about an opportunistic bastard and a shy painter managed to entertain me even on a second viewing. I have no clue how much of the plot aligns with real events, and frankly, I don't care. What the creators presented didn't disappoint me in the slightest. Christoph Waltz truly stole the show, overshadowing Amy Adams. One aspect I appreciated was how I could easily grasp the meaning behind each painting. I'm not much of an art connoisseur, so Margaret's horror characters resonated with me more than the complexities of cubism or modern art. When it comes to visual art, I'm a simple person, and this movie hit the mark for me. If the story wasn't purely fictional, it was interesting to see Jehovah's Witnesses actually causing something good. I wonder how much it cost Margaret. (15/06/2022)

An excellent movie, the only flaw of which is that it is not a typical Tim Burton film full of nihilism and attractions. And none of his notorious actors are cast here - Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, or Eva Green. In the eyes of some, Burton filmed a heretical civilian film against his trademark (although he at least kept Danny Elfman). The masses did not forgive him for this - we can see it in the weak response. But bold viewers who do not like boxes get to see an interesting biography of Margaret Keane (1927-2022) and Walter Keane (1915-2000) and the acting performances of Amy Adams and Christoph Waltz. It is a story of awakened emancipation in art from the late 50s and 60s, making it an incredible spectacle into the world of men, (un)fulfilled ambitions, kitsch, and hypocrisy in modern art. Neither of the spouses won over my heart because both had their flaws, but that also made it more audience-friendly. (07/05/2024)

I somehow don't know whether I should actually be happy that Burton chose an interesting theme that suited him, but at the same time he suppressed himself and let someone else's art shine, only asserting himself in the visual aspect of the 50s and subsequently the 60s. Overall, visually it is weak for Burton, whereas in terms of the story it is inherently interesting and excellently acted. (29/01/2015)