Review of Big Eyes (2014) by Evan L — 09 Jan 2015

I am a big Tim Burton fan. I love Ed Wood, Big Fish and some of his animated films like Frankenweenie. Unfortunately, Burton hasn't made a great live action film in a very long time, so Big Eyes looked like a return to form. And I must say, Big Eyes is a fantastically entertaining biopic!

THE GOOD:

+ The acting is the best part of the film. Amy Adams gives an incredible performance that I believe deserves an Oscar nomination. She portrays this woman with such realism and emotion. Christoph Waltz steals the show, though. His performance is completely over the top and cartoony, but it worked so well. Waltz has never given a bad performance and this continues his streak. The rest of the supporting cast give good, but not memorable performances.

+ The cinematography is absolutely beautiful. The cinematographer purposely makes the shots look like paintings and it is visually gorgeous.

+ The true story is so compelling and interesting. It becomes unbelievable at some points, but since the events actually happened, it's forgivable.

+ The characters are so unique and well developed. Margaret and Walter felt like real couple going through real events.

+ The pace is quite fast, and the story never becomes dull or boring.

+ The movie is well written and often quite funny. Though I wouldn't call it a comedy, there are some really hilarious moments.

+ The ending was was simply perfect.

+ Danny Elfman's musical score is superb and works for the film.

THE BAD:

- The daughter character felt shoehorned into the film.

- The emotional moments didn't hit as hard as I thought they wanted to.

- Many of the characters felt cartoony and unrealistic, especially Walter Keane.

Overall, Big Eyes is an incredibly entertaining biopic with superb acting, a crazy story and beautiful cinematography. See it!

RATING: 8.5/10.