Review of Big Eyes (2014) by Russell S — 11 Jan 2015

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.