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BIG EYES

Posted

* * * ½

True story of artist Margaret Keane)

This is the year of movies based on real people and true events.

This time it is Margaret Keane, played passionately and vulnerably by Amy Adams, and her rascal of a husband, Walter Keane, played cunningly by Christoph Waltz. It doesn’t take long to dislike Walter Keane as he woos the divorced mother of a young girl, marries her, and convinces her to put his name on her paintings. And it doesn’t take long to gain sympathy for the vulnerable Margaret, who allows her husband to use her for his personal gain and fame.

We watch the manipulative super salesman take advantage of his wife, convincing her that telling the press and public that he is the artist of those beautiful portraits of children with big eyes. Margaret sits patiently in the background, putting out product at a fast pace, while her husband lives the good life.

We wanted to scream at Margaret to stand up for herself, stop the lies and take credit for her creations, but it takes years for her to break, and only does so after leaving Walter and gaining confidence from her daughter.

How this happens makes for the shocking, clever conclusion to what is a fairly dull film, taking place in a Hawaii courtroom. The writers must have taken some poetic license in the trial, which appears a bit over the top.

“Big Eyes” makes for a good ’50s/’60s period piece, complete with the cars, hairdos, lifestyles and values of the times. Margaret is the self-proclaimed daughter/mother/wife who allows her husband to control her every move. We sat there waiting for her to say “enough,” but we realize that she was a victim of her upbringing and the morals of the time. When she finally does, we cheer for her and cheer even louder for Walter’s demise.

Rated PG-13, with profanity.

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