Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

Big Eyes Blu-ray Movie Review

'Big Eyes' on Blu-ray: The better to see you with.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman April 8, 2015

There's a sly little bit of double meaning in Director Tim Burton's for-him "untraditional" biopic Big Eyes. Not only does the title reference, obviously, Painter Margaret Keane's signature artistic detail -- her subject's oversized eyes -- but it also hints at her husband Walter's greed, the characteristic not physically obvious but certainly understood, seeing that he's blinded to everything but the dollar signs in his eyes and not the bigger picture of life, love, personal success, appreciation for another's work, or even a personal goal of self-improvement rather than the underhanded, never mind immoral, process of masquerading as something he is not, as an accomplished creator of work he cannot even reasonably replicate. The film's tale takes place in a time when men were expected to be the sole bread winners, the only creative types, the only ones people would take seriously as a serious contributing member of society, at least outside of the domestic role in the household. That timeframe certainly facilitates the story, but the broader subject of interest is the more intimate examination of, here, the contrasting examples of the human condition that, on one hand, guides a character to finally stand for what's right and, on the other, conditions someone to take whatever measures are necessary to find success in life, to reap without sowing, to enjoy the fruits of labor without actually performing the labor. Walter's was the ultimate in psychotic plagiarism, not simply stealing work but, essentially, forcing another into subservience to produce the work. Big Eyes is a rich, bountiful character study with an easy flow, a mildly humorous edge -- particularly as the truth gradually comes to light -- and proof that Tim Burton isn't a single-style niche filmmaker, though Big Eyes does have ooze with subtle Burton tradition.

Paint me another.

Margaret (Amy Adams) and her daughter Jane (Delaney Raye) flee the suburbs and a bad relationship in search of a better life, going against the societal grain. She's a gifted artist and finds employment painting baby cribs, though her social status makes her something of an outcast. She peddles her paintings for next to nothing at arts and crafts fairs to supplement her income and gain at least modest exposure in the community. It's at one of those shows that she meets Walter (Christoph Waltz), a fellow artist who sweeps her off her feet. The two quickly wed and it seems like a match made in heaven. He manages to sell some of her work, but in the process, calls the work his own. She's not particularly pleased with that, but the draw of quick and easy money eases her anger. But only briefly. As her works -- all of which Walter claims he painted -- become massive hits and turn into a lucrative business, she grows to resent Walter and everything he stands for. Despite her displeasure, he doubles down and becomes a worldwide sensation, leaving her to paint in secrecy while he enjoys the benefits of stardom.

Big Eyes appears as, and in many ways is, a departure for Tim Burton both away from his trademark dark, moody, skewered, and generally nontraditional style that made him famous but obviously hasn't rendered him incapable of crafting a more traditionally styled story, as evidenced here. Burton's touch is certainly evident in the abundantly colorful set design, the mildly comedic undertones (which increase in frequency near the end when a character practically becomes a walking farce), and a central subject of the physical paintings that essentially serve as a reminder of his more traditional style with the disproportionate eyes signaling something obscure and unnatural but still molded as a viable form of expression and storytelling (for Margaret, the disproportionate eyes emphasize the inward character and were born of a time in her youth when she was rendered temporarily deaf). Burton does give the film an edge and injection of energy and levity where other filmmakers may have opted for a more intimate, stuffy interpretation of Margaret's story. Burton never minimizes it, just accentuates it with a lightly caricatured ebb and flow, in many ways reflecting Margaret's style whereby a traditional subject is given an untraditional feature. Burton, then, seems the perfect man to helm the project. He's comfortable in working with a more fluid and less rigid set of rules and an edgier and exploratory, rather than straight and classic, cinematic palette. He does the story justice, makes the necessary points, crafts an entertaining tale, and lends just enough artistic license to its superficialities, and some of its more intimate details, to make it his own without sacrificing the core integrity of the people and the story behind them.

Big Eyes also enjoys two wonderful lead performances. Amy Adams is fantastic in the role of Margaret. Adams injects a very real sense of self to the part, playing not an angry slave, for lack of a better term, but an increasingly remorseful spouse and unwilling partner in a scheme. While it's true that Margaret benefits from her work, her moral compass is straighter than that of her husband. She doesn't disapprove of the money -- not enough money to live on, anyway; she's not thrilled with a move into a house that's larger than the family's needs -- but she does disapprove of how it's earned. And it's not even just the fame she wants, either. She's not a narcissist, she just wants credit given where credit is due, and if that means a higher social status, then so be it. She's caught between a fascinating rock and hard place where principle trumps everything else but principle is forcibly hidden away in the attic. She's the total opposite of Walter in every way, and it's the resentment that she's used -- and a resentment and spitefulness and anger and hatred that grows with other revelations along the way -- and how she gradually turns the tables, that make her a rich, dynamic character and a supremely fascinating study in the human condition, particularly with her living, berating contradiction also at the center with her. Christoph Waltz's Walter is an interesting sort, a man who appears to only want what's best, says one too many things in the pursuit of a payday, and snowballs into an inescapable situation, lest the entire thing collapse. He's sly and smooth but all façade, so egomaniacal and so all-in on the lie that he cannot stand up to criticism that's aimed at something that he didn't even create. The character undergoes a number of permutations as the foundations begin to crack and desperation steps in for confidence. He'll do anything, say anything, almost will anything to keep the lie going, even if it means losing it all or humiliating himself along the way. Waltz is terrific in every scene, truly defining the psychotic underpinnings at every tentacular extreme while trying to maintain the semblance of normalcy in his center world that's built on an ever-evolving and expanding lie.

Big Eyes Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Though Anchor Bay's 1080p, 1.78:1-framed transfer for Big Eyes shows some brief banding, it's otherwise a real looker. It's crisp and clean, nicely defined and only mildly digital-flat. Details soar, whether intimate paint and canvas textures, clothes, faces, or period automobile lines and basic household appointments. Colors, likewise, are bold and healthy. Period aquas, loud pinks, and lush natural greens all look terrific, and the blend of more homely and warm accents gives the movie a nice little back-and-forth feel from a color and mood perspective. Black levels are satisfactorily deep and true, and flesh tones give no cause for concern, influenced only by surrounding lighting conditions. This is an impressive effort all around.

Big Eyes Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Big Eyes arrives on Blu-ray with a solid DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The only glaring weakness comes in occasionally low, slightly hard-to-hear dialogue, particularly evident near film's start in a scene in which Margaret meets with DeeAnn in the city. There's a little too much competition with surrounding atmosphere, but the problem doesn't linger. Music is aggressive but clear and balanced, enjoying a well defined front end and a healthy and even surround support element. A good, weighty low end gives it a natural sense of heft and volume. Various bits of light ambient effects are nicely integrated, whether small crowd gatherings, more bustling city streets, or at the outdoor art show. The aforementioned dialogue finds a nice, accurate reverberation near film's end. There are no huge or abnormally aggressive sound effects of note. This is a good, even track that gets the job done with the sort of accuracy and lifelike precision, save for that occasionally troubled balance, that one would expect of a dialogue intensive Drama.

Big Eyes Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Big Eyes contains a making-of and two Q&A sessions folded into one supplement. Inside the Blu-ray case, buyers will find a voucher for a UV digital copy.

• The Making of Big Eyes (1080p, 21:33): A look at the original artwork, the real story that inspired the movie, core story details and themes, the way the story influenced the art world, cast and performances, and the cast's work with Tim Burton and the contributions he brought to the film.
• Q&A Highlights (1080p, 33:55): Writers Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski are joined by Margaret Keane and Jane Keane to open a screening. After a screening, Moderator Scott Mantz hosts Alexander, Karaszewski, Amy Adams, and Margaret Keane. The piece later cuts to Moderator Anthony Breznican hosting Tim Burton, Amy Adams, Christoph Waltz, Krysten Ritter, and Jason Schwartzman.

Big Eyes Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Big Eyes isn't just a biopic, it's an exploration of the human condition, what the human conditions means for different people, and how it's shaped and evolved over time. The film features two diametrically opposed characters brought together under false pretenses and the fallout of a little white lie that morphs into an uncontrollable avalanche of agony, for Margaret the agony of watching her success from afar and living a lie and for Walter also living a lie but also suffering through the agony of keeping it together with leaky patches and ineffective glue. Tim Burton is wonderful in the director's chair, the film a superficial departure for him to be sure but still in many ways classic Burton where it counts. Anchor Bay's Blu-ray release of Big Eyes features near reference quality video, solid audio, and a couple of extras. Highly recommended.