Dir. Kevin Spacey, 2004, USA , 121 mins
Cast:
Kevin Spacey, Kate Bosworth, John Goodman, Bob Hoskins, Brenda Blethyn, Greta Scacchi, Caroline Aaron With a heart permanently damaged by rheumatic fever, Walden Robert Casotto (William Ullrich) is not expected to live into adulthood. But when his devoted mother (Brenda Blethyn) introduces him to music, little Bobby Darin-to-be finds an unexpected energy and his outlook is transformed. With the support of his mother, grown-up sister Nina (Caroline Aaron), her husband Charlie (Bob Hoskins), and best friend and manager Steve Blauner (John Goodman), the singer (Kevin Spacey) is propelled out of the humdrum into a glittering world of night clubs, Oscar nominations and public adulation. The boy from the Bronx woos and marries Hollywood sweetheart Sandra Dee (Kate Bosworth) and fulfils his ambition of playing the Copacabana. Spacey has undercut claims that Beyond The Sea is a mere vanity project with a straightforward admittance of his enormous admiration for Bobby Darin: "I just thought he was the coolest cat that ever walked the face of the earth. His style, his attack, had certain echoes of Sinatra, but it was its own thing." And from the self-penned Rock n' Roll nonsense of 'Splish Splash' to the big band grandeur of his personalised version of 'Mack the Knife,' to the romance of the title track, the actor/director portrays the swinging style and vocal flourishes of his idol with mesmerising intensity. It's a musical journey through the crooner's career, intercut and at times blending surreally with scenes from his childhood, his romance and marriage with Dee and his declining health. A supporting cast of quality - Bosworth, Goodman and Aaron stand out - convey the protective affection that helped the singer succeed. Darin's vanity and failings - unfulfilled acting ambitions, a pathetic array of toupees, a premature mid-life crisis and flirtation with hippydom - aren't neglected, but even these potentially risible aspects of the star are treated gently. The warm devotion of Darin's friends shines through and is both funny and touching. In one scene on a film set, Charlie, Steve and another friend Dick (Peter Cincotti), turn on an outsider who has grumbled about the singer's fractiousness, saying: "He may be an asshole, but he's our asshole. There's four people on this set that can't get fired, and you're not one of them." Darin may not have been an easy person to live or work with, but Spacey gives us a portrait of a man who felt things deeply. Darin's sadness when hearing of the assassination of Bobby Kennedy on the radio alone his caravan retreat is palpable, and compounds his personal disappointments and crushed idealism. But he is also resilient - battling against deteriorating health to make a comeback and a call for peace with his 'Simple Song of Freedom.' Beyond The Sea is deeply sentimental, and unashamedly so. The director wears his heart on his sleeve with a disclaimer that acknowledges a liberal sprinkling of poetic licence. Yet this is where much of the film's charm lies. It doesn't pick over Darin's life in all its private and contradictory detail like some salacious biopic, but rather, gives us a glimpse, all be it at times a rose-tinted one, of where he came from and the qualities that made him a star. Darin was famous for his music, this is what Spacey revels in, and though the straight acting scenes are well played and integrated, this is what remains when the credits have rolled. It is as Spacey hoped it would be, "an entertaining film about an entertainer." Lizzy Griffin |
