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| It's hard not to break into a smile at least, when you look at Matt Damon and Michael Douglas on the glitzy poster for Steven Soderbergh's Behind the Candelabra |
Behind the Candelabra dramatizes the last ten years of the unique piano-playing entertainer's life, as seen from the perspective of Liberace's 40 year younger lover Scott Thorson, while the star publicly denied his obvious homosexuality.
The film is written with great ability by Richard LaGravenese (The Comedian (2016)), based on Scott Thorsen's memoir, Behind the Candelabra: My Life with Liberace (1988) (written with Alex Thorleifson), and directed by Georgian master filmmaker Steven Soderbergh (Traffic (2000)). It is a story of pomposity, excess, narcissism, love and betrayal. If Liberace has any family left, - or fanatic fans perhaps, - it cannot be much fun for them to watch this unflattering portrait of their capricious Lee. In any case, the man's material success, if not his private, is astounding. And both of them are displayed here.
Michael Douglas (Ant-Man (2015)) as Liberace shies away from nothing in another great turn of his, achieved some time after the months when we all thought that we were going to lose one of the screen's best to cancer, - this marks a triumphant comeback. And as Scott Thorson we get Matt Damon (Syriana (2005)), an actor who is always professional, but rarely as engaging and liberated in his acting as he appears here. - They together make the movie soar high.
Soderbergh continues the restrained directing style apparent in his latest projects like the Che films (both from 2008) and Haywire (2011); a very sober and contained tone and portrayal, though far from bereft of style. The music in Candelabra is withheld mostly to a few concert performances, and the cinematic expression is far from the extravagant biopic approach one might have expected. Soderbergh, as often before, acted as his own cinematographer.
In supporting roles, Rob Lowe (A Perfect Day (2006), TV movie) and Dan Aykroyd (Whitecoats (2004)) do well as Lee's crazy plastic surgeon and his deft manager, and Debbie Rheynolds (Singin' in the Rain (1952)) makes a great dignified Polish mother to Liberace. If you are the type who gets excited about costumes and extravagant decor, you can also enjoy the movie for these qualities alone; Howard Cummings (Magic Mike XXL (2015)) - production design, - Barbara Munch (Milk (2008)), - set decoration, - and Ellen Mirojnick (Cloverfield (2008)) - costume design, - are to thank for this considerable job.
Related posts:
Steven Soderbergh: 2015 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I] Magic Mike XXL (2015) - Lots of fun and skin but still no gay as Mike goes to the convention (cinematographer, editor)
2013 in films - according to Film Excess
Side Effects (2013) - Modern people screw up in excellent thriller
Magic Mike (2012) - Soderbergh and Tatum score big with cheeky male strip romp
2011 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2011 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
2011 in films - according to Film Excess
Contagion (2011) - Soderbergh's global pandemic creep-out
Haywire (2011) - Soderbergh's taut, stylish ensemble actioner is a masterpiece
Che Part One - The Argentine (2008) - Soderbergh's sober depiction of the Cuban revolution
Solaris (2002) - A suffering space question mark
Erin Brockovich (2000) - Roberts, Soderbergh and Grant's triumphant biopic
For a look at the movie, watch this trailer, although it gives away a little much in my opinion
Cost: 23 mil. $
Box office: 13.3 mil. $
= Small theatrical performance + good TV movie performance (North America); should likely count as a success
[Behind the Candelabra premiered 21 May (Cannes, in competition) and runs 118 minutes. Soderbergh wanted to make a Liberace film, and talked to Douglas about it during Traffic in 2000. In 2009 he and Damon signed on to star in the film, which took further 3 years to finance, as Hollywood studios thought it "too gay". Shooting took 30 days in California and Las Vegas in 2012. As an HBO TV movie in North America, it premiered there on 26 May, 5 days after its Cannes debut. It was initially viewed by 3.5 mil. on its first two runs, HBO's highest rating for a TV movie sine 2004. It was released theatrically in several foreign markets. The 3 biggest were the UK with 5.2 mil. $ (39.1 % of the total gross), Australia with 2.3 mil. $ (17.3 %) and Germany with 2 mil. $ (15 %). Overall, the movie should certainly count as a hit. It was nominated for and won a slew of awards: 2 wins out of 4 Golden Globe nominations, 11 out of 15 Emmy nominations, 5 BAFTA nominations and many more. Soderbergh announced his retirement from directing following the film, but then directed The Knick (2014-15) and returned theatrically with Logan Lucky (2017). Douglas returned in Last Vegas (2013), Damon in Elysium (2013). Behind the Candelabra is certified fresh at 95 % with a 8.1/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]
What do you think of Behind the Candelabra?
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