Big Eyes (2014) Film Review

Margaret(Amy Adams) has escaped a bad marriage with her daughter and suddenly falls for charming and charismatic fellow artist Walter Keane (Christoph Waltz). Before she knows it, they are married, and Walter has started taking credit for Margaret’s popular Big Eyes paintings He markets her art like no-one has before, with prints, posters, postcards – anything the masses can provide. And as they become wealthier, she becomes more unsatisfied and he becomes more abusive until finally she breaks, chosing to stand up for herself, her daughter and her art.

It’s a mysterious one – I wanted to like it, as it is a great story, and based on truth as well. But I felt little chemistry between the two initially as they fell in love and I just couldn’t get into the story. I didn’t find any emotion, I couldn’t car what happened, and it mostly even lacked the beauty of artistry that is typical of Tim Burton.

Big Eyes won a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical (Amy Adams) and was nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical (Christoph Waltz) and Best Original Song – Motion Picture (Big Eyes)

Dark Shadows (2012) Film Review

Barnabas Collins (Johnny Depp) was part of a powerful family back two hundred years ago, only then a witch, Angelique Bouchard (Eva Green) killed his parents, caused his true love to walk of a cliff and turned him into a vampire, burying him deep in the forest. Present day, Barnabas has been dug up accidentally and discovers his relatives living in the house his father built, but they are on the down and down. It is up to Barnabus to bring their fortunes back.

This is yet another film that I’ve avoided for a long time because I’d heard so many poor things about it. About Tim Burton having lost his touch, making stranger and stranger films with his wife, Helena Bonham Carter and actor favourite Johnny Depp. I really enjoyed it. It was fun, it was stylish and it had an excellent cast of top actors doing good stuff.

Frankenweenie (2012) Film Review

Victor is a loner. He hangs out in his attic with his inventions, his video camera and his dog, Sparky. But tragedy strikes with Sparky, his only friend, is killed in a car accident. At school, Victor has a new science teacher, the mysterious Mr Rzykruski. He teaches the class about experiments and electricity, and Victor manages to use the nightly electric storm to bring Sparky back. The science fair on its way, and when his secret gets out there are strange and unusual consequences.

The first half of the film is exactly what you’d expect from a Tim Burton re-imagination of the Frankenstein film. Dog brought back from dead with a bunch of weird characters. I was even getting to the point where I’d had enough – and then it stepped up to the next level. Things got weird, but awesome weird, and I felt the film was redeemed. The style is so beautiful, but it does feel like the same old Tim Burton stuff. I always look forward to his next thing. I only hope that the next thing steps up in a big way.

Frankenweenie was nominated for an Oscar for Best Animated Feature, a BAFTA for Best Animated Film and a Golden Globe for Best Animated Film, amongst many other award nominations.