Salt in Wound

4 stars out of 5

The commercials looked… frothy. Had Tim Burton gone soft? (Hmm, and he has been making kids’ movies….) And then there was news that he’d split from Helena Bonham Carter. Frankly, I was a little worried about our beloved modern-day master of the macabre.

I should not have been concerned. Big Eyes is Burton’s most sinister film in a very long while, and possibly the best movie of the year.

It’s interesting to see that Burton directed an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents back in 1986, because that filmmaker’s influence is especially strong here. And it’s era-appropriate as well, as Burton explores the curious real-life 1960s tale of Walter and Margaret Keane and the ubiquitous “big eyes” paintings of kids.

Not knowing the true story of the Keanes, I wan’t sure how to interpret this movie at first. It felt like a period-piece rom-com, as if Burton had practiced with Dark Shadows and now was ready to really go whole-hog. His direction in the early part of the film even seemed to be informed by 1960s television.

Ah, but Burton has much more up his sleeve—as does the story. I won’t get into the details, as the discovery is half the fun. But suffice to say, the movie gets better and better and better as it goes along. (Kudos also go to writers Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski.) There’s building tension and absurdity and some great laughs. Plus we get commentary on the art world, gender politics, and the public’s inexplicable tastes. Really, really good stuff all around.

Christoph Waltz is terrific as Walter Keane: by turns charming, smarmy, manipulative, manic, and creepy. Amy Adams certainly holds her own as Margaret Keane, in a subtle portrayal of breaking free and self-expression. Jason Schwartzman has a very small role but gets one of the funniest lines. And I’m always happy to see Crosetti from Homicide.

One little gripe: At one point I confused Margaret’s daughter—who ages over the course of the film—with a teenager who is introduced in another scene. Passage of time can be tricky to convey if you don’t resort to pages being ripped from a calendar.

Overall, the movie is a lot of fun, pretty fascinating, and very well-made. Such care was given that Adams and the actress playing her daughter seem to have bigger eyes, while Waltz and his character ultimately take a narrower view of things.