Kevin Spacey, a purported major fan of Bobby Darin goes all the way on this one, he produces, directs, acts, sings and dances, all fairly competently. Unfortunately he also co-writes an abominable screenplay, resulting in a great disservice to Darin. It's as if the screen writers did a quick search on "Bobby Darin", came up with a few lines about his life and strung them together in a shabby, cliché ridden fashion. There's not even an attempt to look beneath what was surely a complex character.
Darin was not a great singer but he certainly had some charm. In "Beyond the Sea" he comes off distinctly unlikable and totally devoid of any charm. Spacey plays him as a constantly petulant and frustrated person. Ironically Spacey, a reputable actor demonstrates a total lack of subtlety in this atrocious script. It would seem he just wanted to show the word that he can sing and dance and that that would carry the movie. The screenplay is merely filler for the Kevin Spacey show.
I recently watched "Pressure Point", a movie from 1962 in which Darin reveals a startling and surprising acting ability. It's a powerful and sensitive portrayal. Spacey, despite his mighty reputation goes for mimicry rather than creating a character. It's a talent he's often displayed on various talk shows. While fun for a few minutes, mimicry cannot withstand an entire movie.
Kevin Spacey can sing. It's a nice surprise and yet it must be said, he has a distinctly forgettable voice and seldom really hits home. The only song in which approaches being a singer, rather than someone who can sing, is "The Curtain Falls". When Diana Ross sang as Billie Holiday in "Lady Sings the Blues" it was not a case of imitation. She's no Billie Holiday, but she is a singer who put her own personal stamp on the music.
Spacey on this embarrassing ego trip surrounds himself with characters so badly written that even veterans such as Bob Hoskins and John Goodman are made to look ridiculous. Others come off even worse.
From watching "Beyond the Sea" one learns a whole lot more about Kevin Spacey than one does about Bobby Darin. Skip this lesson.
As far as biopics go it's up there with "Mommie Dearest".
Darin was not a great singer but he certainly had some charm. In "Beyond the Sea" he comes off distinctly unlikable and totally devoid of any charm. Spacey plays him as a constantly petulant and frustrated person. Ironically Spacey, a reputable actor demonstrates a total lack of subtlety in this atrocious script. It would seem he just wanted to show the word that he can sing and dance and that that would carry the movie. The screenplay is merely filler for the Kevin Spacey show.
I recently watched "Pressure Point", a movie from 1962 in which Darin reveals a startling and surprising acting ability. It's a powerful and sensitive portrayal. Spacey, despite his mighty reputation goes for mimicry rather than creating a character. It's a talent he's often displayed on various talk shows. While fun for a few minutes, mimicry cannot withstand an entire movie.
Kevin Spacey can sing. It's a nice surprise and yet it must be said, he has a distinctly forgettable voice and seldom really hits home. The only song in which approaches being a singer, rather than someone who can sing, is "The Curtain Falls". When Diana Ross sang as Billie Holiday in "Lady Sings the Blues" it was not a case of imitation. She's no Billie Holiday, but she is a singer who put her own personal stamp on the music.
Spacey on this embarrassing ego trip surrounds himself with characters so badly written that even veterans such as Bob Hoskins and John Goodman are made to look ridiculous. Others come off even worse.
From watching "Beyond the Sea" one learns a whole lot more about Kevin Spacey than one does about Bobby Darin. Skip this lesson.
As far as biopics go it's up there with "Mommie Dearest".