Mad Over Movies: Of Big Eyed Kids and Cheating Artists 

There is nothing more satisfactory than putting your blood and sweat into a passion project of yours and having it be well received and appreciated by others. Similarly, there can be nothing worse than having some backstabbing schmuck taking credit for said work and actually justifying the act. Just like how it happened with painter Margaret Keane and her famous “big eye” paintings.

‘Big Eyes’ recounts the real-life story of painter Margaret Keane and her husband Walter Keane. When Margaret gets to know that Walter has been selling her paintings as his own creations, she is forced to go along with his lies as their newfound money and popularity hinge on her decision to hide the truth. The saying goes that the truth is often stranger than fiction and true to it we keep hearing strange and bizarre stories every day. Margaret Keane’s life was such a story. Painting is Margaret’s forte and her portraits of big-eyed children always got the eye of the curious. When Walter suggests selling them Margaret doesn’t think much about it. But when she realizes that Walter is taking credit for her work she is stuck in a lie that eats away at her morality. What she decides to do about this situation makes the crux of the story.

But anybody who’s watched the film would definitely accept that Adams disappears into the role of a soft-spoken Southern woman.

I’m a big fan of Amy Adams so it’d be fair to say that I’m a bit biased towards her performance.

Her mannerisms, body language, and evocative expressions help us empathize with what kind of a person Margaret Keane was and help us understand why she did the things she did. Christoph Waltz plays the equally important Walter Keane with full gusto and enthusiasm. The way his character evolves from a well-meaning husband into a manipulative businessman while maintaining a humongous streak all throughout the film was a delight to see.

I have only seen three Tim Burton movies previously – namely ‘Corpse Bride’, ‘Edward Scissorhands’ and ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’. And anyone who’s familiar with his films knows that he has a certain style. I’m familiar with his pale protagonists, colorful settings, and quirky dialogue but it was different to watch Tim Burton direct a film that’s relatively normal. At first glance, you wouldn’t say this is a Tim Burton movie but through the runtime I gradually saw the vestiges of his style in every frame, only just toned down. It was the perfect story for Tim Burton and he knew just how to make it.

People have a certain distaste towards biopics nowadays and it’s understandable. At one point in time, they were sensational but soon they became run-of-the-mill ventures, following a standard formula and becoming bland offerings that don’t do justice to the person on whom it’s based. ‘Big Eyes’ does and does not suffer the same problem. Does in the sense that you can predict how acts one, two, and three will proceed (with the initial happiness phase, the struggling middle followed by the final uprising). Inspite of this predictability the film also dazzles you with the fantastic performances of Amy Adams and Christoph Waltz, the immaculate production design and costumes, great music, and of course the bonkers story. These factors help elevate the film from it being a base-level biopic and instead make it a fun and enjoyable biopic about a woman whose story deserves to be known around the world.

Sadly Margaret Keane passed away this year but her legacy lives on through her paintings and through ‘Big Eyes’.

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Inspite of having been robbed of her artistic credits early on in her career, Margaret Keane eventually found justice on her side and the world now gets to celebrate the big-eyed kids rightfully credited with her talents. Do watch the film to get to know a little bit more about this wonderful artist!

My rating: 8/10