However, no director is without his or her faults, and unfortunately for Tim Burton, he's had quite a few stumbles along his path of success. For every 'Corpse Bride,' we've been presented with such garbage as 'Planet of the Apes' and the atrociously horrendous 'Dark Shadows' (if Willy Wonka and the Addams Family had a twisted son diagnosed with psychological insanity, you have part of the idea of what 'Shadows' is). A lot of the times, when Burton steps outside of his realm of comfort, the results can either be one of the greatest spectacles of defining a director breaking type-casting (think "Big Fish"), or a sputtering, disgusting mess (sorry, Burton, but "Apes" was about as bad as they come).
So, imagine my fear going into a biographical drama, that's right, biographical drama directed by Edward Freaking Scissorhands, and not knowing where the direction would go.
However, this movie may not just be the best Tim Burton motion picture in recent years, but may be one of Tim Burton's finest movies, ever.
The story revolves around the controversy of Margaret Keane, portrayed absolutely beautifully by a perfectly-casted Amy Adams, who created the 'Big Eyes' movement, revolving around painting eyes on a face too large to symbolize their metaphor as 'windows to the soul.' Unfortunately, her work is stolen under the guise of her new husband, Walter Keane, and Margaret is forced into the shadows, her work lost in the confusion and glittery reality of the San Francisco world of art.
Right off the bat, this doesn't sound like a Burton film. In fact, there's more of a 'Nicholas Sparks' aspect to the rawness of the emotion felt by the characters. Right off the bat we're introduced to Margaret, who is shown running out of her husband's house in the FIRST SCENE of the movie. Off the bat, because of a mix of long shots and close-ups to signify Margaret's fear as well as her symbolically represented placement in the San Francisco community, the logic of her being so nervous and afraid of seemingly the entire world around her is portrayed beautifully, with Adams never making any sort of mistake in representing Keane's fear.
Now, the most strikingly beautiful concept of the movie is the obvious metaphor of eyes. As a result, the most commonly represented angle and shot throughout the majority of the piece is the close-up, which is documenting the importance and relevance to the character's emotions, whether that be fear or anxiety or excitement. Burton utilizes a wonderful combination of elemental shots that enhance the focus the audience member draws particularly on the eyes, and as a result, it creates a much more moving tone and enhancement to the film itself, particularly in the church scene that doctrines Margaret during a session of confession. By zooming in close-up to her face and focusing in on her eyes, we can see the weakness she feels and notice that she's constantly shifting her gaze, obviously confused and worried for the future. And this happens on a constant, keeping the audience member intensely entranced in what Adam's 'Margaret Keane' has to emotionally offer.
Amy Adams is not the only standout actor here. In fact, the portrayal by Christoph Waltz of 'Walter Keaton' is what gives the biographical drama its more 'Tim Burton' feel. Walter is a much more psychologically engaged character, who centers the universe around himself and wants to always be near the center of attention. Waltz's portrayal is lively, energetic, and when he needs to be, absolutely insane (however, no spoilers!). The actors work beautifully together, feeling love in the moment and hatred in the darkest depths, and because both actors carry such an intense passion for their work or their secrecy, all of the dialogue feels natural, with almost no breaks that give away any sort of awkward position.
While this is nowhere near Tim Burton's usual romp, there are elements that maintain his similar symbolization. For example, the soundtrack, attributed to musical genius and legend Danny Elfman makes sure that the movie runs on-pace with the beauty of the art being presented, and the darker, more mellow tones help to appeal the idea of consciousness and taking in surrounding beauty. None of it feels rushed, or unnatural, or forced, or anything of the sort, but instead really feels as though it's a natural part of the movie that carries it along like a metaphorical wave.
As well, the entire tone of the movie is intense and deep, but not completely the Tim Burton zany and crazy that we've grown so accustomed to over the years. In fact, this almost feels more like an 'Ed Wood' or an 'Edward Scissorhands,' because it's a much more mature movie with a mature storyline and wants to have and present a mature message. Unlike some of his previous romps, this isn't trying to appeal to a mass audience, but instead caters to those who have an appreciation for the complexity of art, and can see the metaphors laden underneath the pieces of the story.
The movie also appeals very well to a feminist ideology and sends a very secretive, but noticeable, political message within it's contextual framework. From the Catholic Priest in support of patriarchy to the demonstrations of rich men taking beautiful women for themselves, the perception of women as objects runs prevalent until Margaret begins to make these sorts of realizations for herself. The subtlety of the message is there, but the power it convenes of supporting the woman in the fight against social indiscretion is not only relevant to modern issue, but it is presented in a fashion more elegant and mature than political movies trying to do the same thing.
Overall, I've got nothing bad to say about this movie. Honestly, I spent the last 30 minutes of this movie looking for any sort of plot hole, any sort of missing piece, any sort of problem, and I couldn't find it. The politics are beautiful, the acting is completely on-point, the message is clear, the cinematography is mature, and against all odds, it really does feel like a Tim Burton film. While these 'big eyes' are the sorts of creatures that Burton would manifest, the maturity and true sophistication of this new Tim Burton tale are what make it a must-see for anyone, fans or enemies of Tim Burton alike.
I give 'Big Eyes' a 10/10.
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