Amy Adams
Christoph Waltz
Danny Huston
Jon Polito
Krysten Ritter
Jason Schwartzman
Terence Stamp

Scott Alexander
Larry Karaszewski

106 mins.
Biography, Drama
December 25, 2014

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements and brief strong language. (MPAA)

Tim Burton’s “Big Eyes,” a predictably peculiar sort of film (given the director) that’s based on true events, starts with energy and urgency. Its depiction of San Francisco and other locations, starting in 1958, is vibrant, too. However, when its two principal characters meet, something curious happens: It takes a step back. It’s a subtle step back, though. Instead of clicking into place when Walter and Margaret Keane first meet, the film lets out a little bit of steam – just a little. It still has some rhythm and energy, just not as much as it could. Puzzling.

Christoph Waltz and Amy Adams, who play the Keanes, are wonderful actors in their own right; but, in most of the first half of the film, they don’t have much chemistry. I didn’t expect that. It’s not that they’re bad together; the problem is that they don’t make magic together. I don’t know whom to blame for this: director Tim Burton, the actors, or both? Their scenes just don’t click. They must have felt that as they were filming. It’s the kind of feeling you get when you’ve planned for something to go so well, but it fizzles instead.

While they don’t nail the love story portion of the film (if that’s what you want to call it), they do a much better job once the conflicts begin. About halfway through the film, things finally click into place. The urgency comes back, and Adams and Waltz work off of each other beautifully. By the end, there’s a genuinely entertaining courtroom scene. I’d like to know just how much of it is true; if you watch this, you’ll probably want to know, too. The reason that the second half of the film works so well is that conflict is its engine; it’s a shame that it takes too long for that engine to start: Know where your bread is buttered.

Overall, this is a good film that fits Burton’s aesthetic. It’s closer to his earlier work, both in style and in tone. But it doesn’t stand alone. There are better Burton films, but there are certainly worse ones, much worse ones, as well. Despite the imperfections of “Big Eyes,” it’s worth a watch … as long as you wait until you can watch it in the comfort of your own home. Actually, you should watch it in bed. That way, if you need to take a nap at some point, you won’t have any trouble. If you start that nap early – right after the very beginning would be a good time to doze off – you’ll be awake for the good parts. You won’t miss a thing.

Verdict: Good

About: (Source: bigeyesfilm.com)

Big Eyes tells the outrageous true story of one of the most epic art frauds in history. In the 1960s, painter Walter Keane (Christoph Waltz) had reached success beyond belief, revolutionizing the commercialization of popular art with enigmatic paintings of waifs with big eyes. The bizarre and shocking truth would eventually be discovered: Walter’s works were actually created by his wife Margaret (Amy Adams). The Keanes, it seemed, had been living a colossal lie that had fooled the entire world.