Big Eyes -- perhaps the one film this year of which I had no expectations because I didn't know it was happening -- is beautiful. It tells the real-life story of Margaret Keane, from her marriage to Walter Keane to their divorce and her personal and artistic independence. Offering commentary on a multitude of topics from classism and sexism to artistic integrity and commercial savvy, director Tim Burton departs from his familiar genre and instead proves his mad skills at making more traditional films. In fact, this marks the second of two Burton films I would ever choose to watch again, the first being Big Fish (2003). I've heard some argue that the film loses some of its steam when it returns to plot instead of exploring its thematic implications, but for a biographical drama to have so many thematic concerns at all, I was pleased with the balance Burton found.
Amy Adams succeeds yet again -- no surprise there -- playing our hero in this vibrant and charming excursion. Her own enormous eyes (often glossy with tears) are put to good use here, as she evolves from contentedly painting for herself to serving her controlling husband and ultimately to reclaiming her name and work as her own. Adams imbues incredible vulnerability into her role, and captivates in every moment. Christoph Waltz almost matches her energy as a manipulative and conniving business man, eager to make a family and determined to achieve commercial and social success. And when he loses his cool, a little over halfway through the film in a more recognizably Burton-esque scene, he is riveting as he maniacally aims lit matches at his wife and child.
In case you couldn't guess it, this film is sharply feminist. And not just because it follows a strong and talented leading character (blonde, feminine, and a mother, no less) in a year so far largely devoid of serious dramatic female roles. Burton -- and his writers Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski -- frames the film with sharp rhetoric and and a sensitive eye to Keane's plight. Sensitive, I might note, but not quite sentimental. He doesn't treat this as a romantic drama or a case study of marriage, but as a universal artistic issue and timeless feminist drama. The message of Big Eyes seems more effective because it is also a shameless crowd-pleaser, featuring vibrant colors and Burton's typically fantastic (in the literal sense of the word) directing style. There is also a really interesting disconnect between the eerily clean sets and the messy intangibles (interpersonal marital/family drama) that I'm not quite sure what to do with; and another between the sad big-eyed paintings and the apparently happy (bright, clean) visuals of the film.
IMDb: Big Eyes
No comments:
Post a Comment