Behind the Candleabra

[Honeybee]

We've mentioned this film a few times in the Scott Bakula appreciation thread, but I thought I'd open a thread to talk about the movie itself. I have a couple of friends, one of whom is an emmy voter, and he already got a screener and said it was fantastic.

When I was a little girl around six, I remember seeing Liberace on The Muppet Show and thinking "wow, what a great adult." I think I would have probably dressed in sequins and feathers all the time if I had bought my own clothes. Sure, he was over the top kitsch, but really fascinating. I'm very interested in how much attention the movie is getting and how genuinely interested younger people are in Liberace and his legacy both as a performer and a gay man before you could be out officially.

[Honeybee]

All I can say, to quote Matt Damon's character is "Wow". It's a shame they never got a theatrical release for this because Michael Douglas would have won a third Oscar, hands down. Liberace's public persona was such a cartoon, but Michael Douglas makes him very human, with vulnerability as well as a tough, manipulative edge. Just one of the best performances I've ever seen. I thought Matt Damon might come off as too old since he's 42, and Scott Thorson is 17-22 in the movie, but it works fine since Scott ages a lot more than his years in the film.

One thing I wasn't expecting was the film to be so sad. I knew Liberace was going to die at the end, of course, but there's just a deep sadness through the film about the closet and the cage with golden bars. Great film. If you don't have HBO, definitely try and see it when it comes out on video.

Scott Bakula is also great, although his part is small and kind of expository, he does just fine.

[Kathy Rose]

We don't get HBO, dang it! I really want to see this movie.

I'm old enough to remember seeing Liberace on television. I was fascinated by his persona, as well as his wardrobe. And then, of course, there was his piano artistry. I think one of the reasons he appealed to such a wide range of people is that he didn't confine himself to playing the classical stuff, but took pleasure in performing more popular music, too.

[Honeybee]

The film does focus on Liberace's creativity as a performer, as well as his ambition and his hard work. He really was a showman, and he loved giving an audience a good time.

I still can't get over how fearless Michael Douglas is - not just with the gay scenes but also with his complete willingness to look old and saggy under all the glitter. He really gives it his all. He's also not afraid to show how manipulative Liberace was, although he doesn't play him as unsympathetic either.

[crystalswolf]

I saw this and thought others might be interested: http://tv.yahoo.com/photos/behind-the-c ... 06138.html

Edit: I kind'a meant the entire slideshow, but it just ended up a happy coincidence which one comes up in the link

[Honeybee]

Just for comparison's sake, here's the theatrical trailer for the UK. I think it's more explicit than the US version:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPtDf_GguAY

[Honeybee]

And one more thing! It took a couple of days, but I realized that Liberace is in many ways a typical Michael Douglas character. He's a handsome, vain, successful, alpha male with a sex addiction and a penchant for controlling romantic partners, it's just that in this case he's effeminate and gay instead of stereotypically straight guy.

[Glory1863]

I still can't get over how fearless Michael Douglas is - not just with the gay scenes but also with his complete willingness to look old and saggy under all the glitter. He really gives it his all. He's also not afraid to show how manipulative Liberace was, although he doesn't play him as unsympathetic either.

I guess I wouldn't be surprised for a couple of reasons.

First, he has an established body of work. He's not going to be typecast or miscast as might be a worry for a younger, less well-known actor.

Second, he can look to his dad's example. Kirk Douglas was hot as a young man and even when he was older (his role in Tough Guys comes to mind). The elder Mr. Douglas has taken a few roles and has been in the public eye even after suffering a stroke and having mobility issues and dysarthria (not to mention being older).

Third, with his cancer diagnosis he's faced the real possibility of an earlier than expected and quite unpleasant death. It wasn't a sure thing that he wouldn't end up like Roger Ebert. When you've faced that, then other things that might once have been a bigger deal just aren't anymore.

[Honeybee]

I think those are fair points. MD has been around the block. He gave an interview to New York magazine saying that he wasn't getting a lot of work before the cancer scare, and that this project was the only one he had lined up. Soderbergh wasn't going to do it without him, so he waited.

I think MD was a major Hollywood egoist in his younger days, though I've always found him talented. I think he's mellowed with age. I loved him him Romancing the Stone and An American President.

Still, everyone I know who has seen Behind the Candleabra has loved his performance. He's pretty uncanny. I saw a bit of the film on rerun last night, and I was also way tickled by Matt Damon's 80s rentboy wardrobe.

[Mistress Euclid]

As much as I loved the film for all its glittery dysfunction, I think we were robbed of a Damon/Bakula sex scene! Their relationship was too demure! But I did love the frankness of the film, and it's unapologetic portrayal of an inappropriate relationship that developed into real love. Doomed, of course.