The most amazing thing to learn about the massive fraud perpetrated by Walter Keane (Christoph Waltz) was that he did it right out in the open, with no attempt (at least later on) to hide the fact from his wife Margaret (Amy Adams). As the story progressed, I found myself getting irritated that Margaret kept going along with the masquerade, especially when he was getting all the credit, appearing on television, and hobnobbing with celebrities like Bob Hope, Red Skelton and Johnny Carson. The story is as much about Margaret's inferiority complex and inability to stand up for herself as it is about Walter's massive ego and need to be stroked at every gallery exhibit and museum unveiling. You have to hand it to both Waltz and Adams for their portrayals, their regard for each other is masterfully handled under the direction of Tim Burton. It's kind of ironic that Burton directs this kind of caricature about a phony artist when a lot of the work that has gained him prominence are of caricatures themselves. And to top it all off, the icing on the cake was when Walter's landscapes are revealed to be mass produced paintings that he purchased in bulk for resale - what a con man! This one ended the only way it could have to satisfy this viewer; the whole time Walter regaled the courtroom with his flowery antics, I thought the best way the judge could have handled things was to put it all on the line by saying - 'Paint me a picture'.
Review of Big Eyes
