A film based on a true story about a female artist in the 50s, the tale was riveting with excellent production values and a surprisingly small budget of 10 million dollars.
Director Tim Burton presents Margaret Keane (Amy Adams) as a suppressed, dependant house wife who has to part with her identity as an artist when her husband inadvertently sells her painting. What starts as a sales pitch slowly turns into an identity crisis. She plays the part with beautiful restraint and her win at the Golden Globes this year shouldn’t come as a surprise to anybody. Her creepy husband with the ‘smile that makes you shudder’ is done brilliantly by German actor Christoph Waltz. He shows his ‘real’ side with sparks and is otherwise the perfect farce.
This film shows the reality of what women had to face in the workplace and at home in the 50s and 60s. It showcases stunning art and strong performances.
3/5