The concise critics

Big Eyes

Year : 2015 Director : Tim Burton Running Time : 106 minutes Genre : ,
Movie review score
3.5/5

What’s it about?
It’s the early ’60s, and Walter Keane (Christoph Waltz) is famous for his kitsch, sentimental paintings of big-eyed children. But it’s all a con – the paintings were actually created by his wife Margaret (Amy Adams), and she’s had just about enough of living in his shadow.

What did we think?
Amy Currie says:  Director Tim Burton dials down his trademark spooky-quirky to make a biopic, and there’s not a Depp or Bonham Carter in sight. Adams finds the sweet spot between downtrodden and determined, and Waltz manages to be both the comic relief and a genuinely menacing presence.  There’s still enough Burton-ness to make the world seem just a little larger than life (and the gorgeous sets and costumes make the audience want to run away to the ’60s) but it trails off into a made-for-TV ending.  Worth seeing, but cross your fingers it doesn’t start a big-eyed art revival.

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