Big Eyes, directed by Tim Burton, is a story of art, fraud, and emotion told by a newspaper journalist many years later. Margaret Keane (Amy Adams) is a newly divorced single mother with only two things going for her: her daughter/muse, Jane, and her art. In 1952, the two drive to San Francisco to start a new life for themselves.

One day, Margaret and Jane go to an art fest in the park to sell some paintings. After only selling one quick sketch of a little boy, Margaret meets Walter Keane (Christopher Waltz). Walter is a suave landscape painter with a loud personality. Margaret disregards her friends’ advice and falls in love with Walter. They get married within two years and embark on their journey together. That journey being art and fraud. Purely through a mishap, Walter successfully sells his wife’s paintings under his name.

And thus begins ten years of social climbing. Margaret paints and Walter sells the product under his name. They quickly get rich and famous from Margaret’s paintings. Soon, the act gets tough to keep up when Margaret’s guilty secret spirals out of her control—destroying her mental state and conjuring up a discourse between the happy couple.

I thought that Big Eyes was a captivating movie, exploring the effect guilt and art can have on the soul. Margaret Keane poured her heart and soul into her big-eyed children paintings. Amy Adams’ performance was truly amazing. The crime aspect was easy to follow for people who don’t know much about the justice system. The raw emotion of the movie was simply magnificent.

One complaint of mine is that Walter Keane was almost too cartoony in the dramatic moments. He was too energetic for the tense moments during the climax of the movie. Otherwise, the con man was a delightful untrustworthy character.

Big Eyes (2014) was based on a true story. To me, Tim Burton captured the story very well with his outlandish style. He didn’t go overboard with this dramatic mockumentary. For all of these elements, I give Big Eyes a 8.5/10. I would recommend this movie for anyone who likes Burton’s movies and someone who likes somewhat over-the-top crime dramas.